‘Stand tall’ against aggression, says head of security agency amid Russia-Ukraine war

ANTALYA, Turkiye 

As Russia's war on Ukraine continues, a former top general and current head of a regional security organization called for “standing tall” against aggression.

“In this difficult time that we live in, we have to understand, we have to stand tall against the aggression,” Jeronim Bazo, director of the Croatia-based Center for Security Cooperation (RACVIAC), told Anadolu Agency on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum which concluded last week.

The three-day high-level diplomacy forum in the resort city of Antalya, Turkiye brought together participants from 75 countries, including 17 heads of state, 80 government ministers, and 39 representatives of international organizations. Anadolu Agency is the forum's global communications partner.

According to Bazo, former head of Albania's General Staff, mainly former Eastern Bloc countries feel threatened by Russia in the wake of Moscow’s war on Ukraine.

“Because if you appease the authoritarians, or the dictators if you appease them for a long time, it will come through your door,” he added.

His organization was founded “right after the wars in the Balkans, the bloody wars during the 90s,” he said. “At the beginning, it started as a cooperation and to join the effort between the Federal Republic of Germany and Republic of Croatia.”

It has nine member states, one participant, 14 associate members, and nine observers.

The member countries include Turkiye, Greece, Romania, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia. Kosovo has the status of participant.

Arms control is still a strong wing for the organization’s activities, he said, adding: “During the years we have expanded more on good governance, defense security, transnational threats and countering terrorism.”

Forum for ‘dialogue and cooperation'

“We serve mostly as a forum for dialogue and cooperation. This is our main focus,” he said.

RACVIAC offers its member states and others the opportunity to “discuss about what it means to strengthen the security, what it means to get to know each other. That's what we stand for,” he said.

“We bring together members, mid-level officials, military officers, and others to be trained together in topics of common interest like arms control, security sector reform, governance, cybersecurity, transnational threats, personnel, human resource management,” he added.

War-hit Ukraine has observer status at the organization, Bazo said: “So our position, my position as a director is that we fully support the UN, the historic UN resolution of last week, that were 141 nations voted to condemn the Russian aggression against Ukraine.”

“So we firmly stand by the Ukrainian people in this difficult time,” he added.

“This is our position, this is my position, because all of our member states voted for this resolution,” he reiterated. “We are joining the work worldwide spread out opinion to support Ukrainian people through this difficult time."

'Dialogue and cooperation'

According to Bazo, “dialogue and cooperation” are very important.

“We believe and it was also strongly re-emphasized yesterday (on Friday) during the elaboration in this very forum that we are participating,” he added.

“This is never out of fashion, in every sort of crisis or in difficult times in situations, dialogue is always a great instrument, a great tool that could bring the people together,” he stressed.

“It is better when you get to know me, (it) is easier to pick up the phone tomorrow and call me (when) time of needs,” he said. “(It) is better when you know the people when you call a time of crisis.”

“This is the most important to be understood. That's what we stand for,” he said.

According to Bazo, there is some sort of “awareness” in the region. “Of course, there are risks of destabilizing the region in a certain area of our region as well.”

However, he added that the majority of member states in the region are NATO members, which is very important.

“And all of them committed themselves to be EU members,” he said.

“So the Euro Atlantic orientation is a big thing. It is a destination for our member-states,” he explained.

“So this helps keep a common ground against this situation that the world is going through right now,” he said. “But we should stand tall.”

“And if we don't stand up, who's next and the size of the countries will become irrelevant."

By “standing up” Bazo explained, he means “joining the international community and doing our bit of job, being willing to take on sacrifices that will come with the sanctions that are being put against Russia, because even the countries that are sanctioning them will suffer the economic consequences and the same with our countries.”