The ninth ministerial review conference on the South East Europe Border Security Cooperation, organized by Macedonia's Ministry of Interior under the patronage of Denmark's EU Presidency, kicked off Thursday in Skopje.

"The geography make us neighbors, while the history make us friends. The economy make us partners and the need for joint action against all threats has made us allies. Developing of the idea for having safe, secure borders and of the concept for border management has united us in this alliance, which has been existing for ten years. I point out once again that only by joint action we may be successful as institutions and states," Interior Minister Gordana Jankuloska said at the opening of the conference.

The gathering, she said, will offer realistic review of the situation, progress and everything that has been done in the sphere of security. It will also analyze the future activities under the DCAF Border Security Programme for 2012-2015.

"I hope the conference will meet its objective - mutual understanding of the necessary processes, activities for improving the security of citizens by efficient border control," Jankuloska said.

Slovenian Ambassador to Macedonia Alain Brian Bergant, who addressed the event on behalf of Slovenia's Minister of Interior, said such gatherings had been making substantial contribution to coordinating the activities for strengthening the region's security.

The conference, chaired by Jankuloska, has brought together the MoIs of Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia/Herzegovina, deputy MoIs and senior police officials of Moldova, Romania, Albania, the Czech Republic, representatives of the European Commission, Europol, the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders (FRONTEX), DCAF (an international foundation established in 2000 on the initiative of the Swiss Confederation, as the 'Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces') and diplomatic corps in Macedonia.

The two-day conference wraps up with signing of a ministerial declaration for SEE border security cooperation in 2012.