Regional cooperation
Throughout 2025, regional cooperation continued to play a central role in advancing SALW control, creating space for strong partnerships, steady information exchange, and coordinated action in response to shared security risks.
Tirana
22nd Meeting of the Small Arms and Light Weapons Commissions
Cooperation across the region is driven through two well-established platforms - the regional process of SALW Commissions and the Southeast Europe Firearms Expert Network (SEEFEN). With regular meetings and continuous exchange, they bring together representatives from the Western Balkans, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine, contributing to enhanced regional security.
Regional Process of SALW Commissions
Tirana
22nd Meeting of the SALW Commissions
The regional process of SALW Commissions remained the central policy-level platform for SALW control cooperation in South East and East Europe in 2025. Established as inter-ministerial bodies in each jurisdiction, SALW Commissions play an essential role in planning, coordinating, and monitoring all arms control activities.
Sarajevo
21st Meeting of the SALW Commissions
The
21st and
22nd regional SALW Commissions meetings organized in 2025 provided a platform for sharing expertise, best practices, and experiences, enhancing strategic planning, and fostering a preventive approach to SALW control.
Southeast Europe Firearms Expert Network
Skopje
22nd Meeting of the South East Europe Firearm Experts Network
Southeast Europe Firearms Expert Network (SEEFEN) continued to serve as the region's key operational cooperation platform for countering illicit firearms trafficking. Bringing together criminal police, ballistic experts, customs administrations, border police, and prosecution offices, the network enables practical, case-based cooperation and real-time information exchange across the region.
Skopje
22nd Meeting of the South East Europe Firearm Experts Network
The
22nd meeting focused on emerging technologies and artificial intelligence influencing SALW control, the growing use and misuse of drones, forensic innovations, ethical and legal implications of using new tools, regional data-sharing on seizures, and coordinated responses to prevent, detect, and disrupt evolving firearm trafficking threats.
