South-Eastern Europe Brigade

Last updated

The South-Eastern Europe Brigade or SEEBRIG is a multinational brigade with forces from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, and Turkey. It was established in the spirit of NATO's Partnership for Peace initiative.

It was established in August 1999, based on the Multinational Peace Force South-Eastern Europe (MPFSEE) agreement concluded between the defence ministers of the participating countries at Skopje on 26 September 1998. [1] The brigade is available for UN, NATO, or EU peacekeeping missions, but can also be deployed independently as a self-contained unit. [2]

The brigade numbers some 5,000 troops, [1] comprising four mechanized infantry battalions, and an engineer task force (ETF) that provides "an emergency relief and humanitarian intervention capabilities." [3]

The participating troops remain at their home stations but are coordinated by a common headquarters. [1] This was initially based at Plovdiv in Bulgaria, before moving to Constanta in Romania in 2003, Istanbul in Turkey in 2007, Tyrnavos in Greece in 2011, and Kumanovo in North Macedonia as of 2020. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulgarian Armed Forces</span> Military forces of Bulgaria

The Bulgarian Army is the military of Bulgaria. The commander-in-chief is the president of Bulgaria. The Ministry of Defense is responsible for political leadership, while overall military command is in the hands of the Defense Staff, headed by the Chief of the Defense. There are three main branches of the Bulgarian military, named literally the Land Forces, the Air Forces and the Naval Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balkans</span> Region of southeastern Europe

The Balkans, corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the whole of Bulgaria. The Balkan Peninsula is bordered by the Adriatic Sea in the northwest, the Ionian Sea in the southwest, the Aegean Sea in the south, the Turkish straits in the east, and the Black Sea in the northeast. The northern border of the peninsula is variously defined. The highest point of the Balkans is Musala, 2,925 metres (9,596 ft), in the Rila mountain range, Bulgaria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NATO</span> Intergovernmental military alliance

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 31 member states – 29 European and two North American. Established in the aftermath of World War II, the organization implemented the North Atlantic Treaty, signed in Washington, D.C., on 4 April 1949. NATO is a collective security system: its independent member states agree to defend each other against attacks by third parties. During the Cold War, NATO operated as a check on the threat posed by the Soviet Union. The alliance remained in place after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, and has been involved in military operations in the Balkans, the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. The organization's motto is animus in consulendo liber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Security Assistance Force</span> NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan from 2001–2014

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a multinational military mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It was established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386 pursuant to the Bonn Agreement, which outlined the establishment of a permanent Afghan government following the U.S. invasion in October 2001. ISAF's primary goal was to train the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and assist Afghanistan in rebuilding key government institutions; it gradually took part in the broader war in Afghanistan against the Taliban insurgency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Balkan War</span> Bulgarias invasion of its neighbours (1913)

The Second Balkan War was a conflict that broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 16 (O.S.) / 29 (N.S.) June 1913. Serbian and Greek armies repulsed the Bulgarian offensive and counterattacked, entering Bulgaria. With Bulgaria's also having previously engaged in territorial disputes with Romania and the bulk of Bulgarian forces engaged in the south, the prospect of an easy victory incited Romanian intervention against Bulgaria. The Ottoman Empire also took advantage of the situation to regain some lost territories from the previous war. When Romanian troops approached the capital Sofia, Bulgaria asked for an armistice, resulting in the Treaty of Bucharest, in which Bulgaria had to cede portions of its First Balkan War gains to Serbia, Greece and Romania. In the Treaty of Constantinople, it lost Adrianople to the Ottomans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Partnership for Peace</span> Intergovernmental organization

The Partnership for Peace is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) program aimed at creating trust and cooperation between the member states of NATO and other states mostly in Europe, including post-Soviet states; 19 states are members. The program contains 6 areas of cooperation, which aims to build relationships with partners through military-to-military cooperation on training, exercises, disaster planning and response, science and environmental issues, professionalization, policy planning, and relations with civilian government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Implementation Force</span> NATO-led multinational peacekeeping deployment to Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Implementation Force (IFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peace enforcement force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename Operation Joint Endeavour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina</span> Former peacekeeping force of the NATO

The Stabilisation Force (SFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina after the Bosnian War. Although SFOR was led by NATO, several non-NATO countries contributed troops. It was replaced by EUFOR Althea in December 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurocorps</span> Military corps of the European Union

Eurocorps, located in the French city of Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin), is a multinational corps headquarters. Founded by France and Germany in 1992, it is today composed of personnel from six framework nations and five associated nations. The framework nations place the Eurocorps at the service of the European Union (EU) and NATO, which certified it in 2002 as one of its nine High Readiness Land Headquarters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kosovo Force</span> NATO-led international peacekeeping force

The Kosovo Force (KFOR) is a NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo. Its operations are gradually reducing until Kosovo's Security Force, established in 2009, becomes self-sufficient.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Althea</span> Military operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Operation Althea, formally the European Union Force Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR), is a military deployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina to oversee the military implementation of the Dayton Agreement. It is the successor to NATO's SFOR and IFOR. The transition from SFOR to EUFOR was largely a change of name and commanders: 80% of the troops remained in place. It replaced SFOR on 2nd December 2004.

Partnership for Peace Information Management System (PIMS) is a US Department of Defense Bilateral Cooperative Development Program started in 1996 to enable collaboration and communication between Partnership for Peace (PfP) countries and the NATO community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allied Joint Force Command Naples</span> NATO command

Allied Joint Force CommandNaples is a NATO military command based in Lago Patria, in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Italy. It was activated on 15 March 2004, after effectively redesigning its predecessor command, Allied Forces Southern Europe (AFSOUTH), originally formed in 1951. In NATO Military Command Structure terms, AFSOUTH was a "Major Subordinate Command". The commander of JFC Naples reports to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Casteau, Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulgaria–United States relations</span> Bilateral relations

Relations between Bulgaria and the United States were first formally established in 1903, have moved from missionary activity and American support for Bulgarian independence in the late 19th century to the growth of trade and commerce in the early 20th century, to reluctant hostility during World War I and open war and bombardment in World War II, to ideological confrontation during the Cold War, to partnership with the United States in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and growing political, military and economic ties in the beginning of the 21st century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Macedonia</span> Country in Southeast Europe

North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Kosovo to the northwest, Serbia to the north, Bulgaria to the east, Greece to the south, and Albania to the west. It constitutes approximately the northern third of the larger geographical region of Macedonia. Skopje, the capital and largest city, is home to a quarter of the country's 1.83 million people. The majority of the residents are ethnic Macedonians, a South Slavic people. Albanians form a significant minority at around 25%, followed by Turks, Romani, Serbs, Bosniaks, Aromanians and a few other minorities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NATO Enhanced Forward Presence</span> Forward-deployed defense and deterrence posture in Eastern Europe

Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) is a NATO-allied forward-deployed defense and deterrence military force in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. This posture in Northern Europe through Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania and in Central Europe through Poland, Slovakia and Hungary and in Eastern Europe through Romania and Bulgaria, is in place to protect and reassure the security of NATO's Northern, Central and Eastern European member states on NATO's eastern flank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Headquarters Multinational Division Southeast</span> Military unit

Headquarters Multinational Division Southeast is NATO's command and control military body in the South-East region under the Multinational Corps Southeast. The operational control is handled by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). The headquarters are located in Bucharest, Romania. Established on 31 August 2015, the HQ MND-SE is the restructure of the former Romanian 1st Infantry Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multinational Corps Southeast</span> NATO corps-level command under the Allied Joint Force Command Naples

Headquarters Multinational Corps Southeast in Sibiu, Romania, is a NATO corps-level command and control structure under the operational control of the Allied Joint Force Command Naples. With Romania as the framework nation, the Corps is integrated within NATO's military command structure.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "South-Eastern Europe Brigade 'SEEBRIG'". South-Eastern Europe Brigade. 9 January 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  2. "SEEBRIG's Concept of Operation". South-Eastern Europe Brigade. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  3. 1 2 "FAQ". South-Eastern Europe Brigade. Retrieved 20 November 2018.