Meeting of directors of regional consular crisis centres

Meeting of directors of regional consular crisis centres | Author MZEZ

The meeting was held in two parts. The first one took place at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in Ljubljana on 8 December, and the second at the Jernej Molan Barracks in Cerklje ob Krki on 9 December.

Topics discussed included consular crisis preparedness and response procedures. Information was exchanged on the organisational structure of crisis centres, which varies from country to country. Some centres are part of consular departments, while others are organised as independent services reporting directly to the minister. Experiences were shared regarding the evacuation of citizens from current crisis areas: Sudan, the Middle East, Tanzania and Madagascar. Public information systems were presented, with an emphasis on safety and travel advice. The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs has this area well covered with the Travel Safety portal. Particular emphasis was placed on sharing experiences and exchanging views on the use of digital tools, including the growing role of artificial intelligence in crisis management. Information on representation in third countries was also exchanged. The Ministry's role in national crisis management structures and its main tasks in the event of a crisis occurring in Slovenia were presented. Experience of evacuating diplomatic missions, consulates and their family members was also shared. Slovakia presented their "Fact Finding Missions" system, which they began implementing last year. This joint system involves the crisis centre, the diplomatic mission, the Police and the intelligence services. It is intended to review the security situation and evacuation options and to establish contacts with relevant bodies in the host countries. The mission takes place in a third country, where all the necessary measures for the possible evacuation of citizens and the protection of diplomatic and consular missions are developed and prepared. Austria has implemented a similar system.

Representatives of all countries exchanged information on crisis preparedness and response plans, agreeing on the need to strengthen cooperation further. During the visit to the Jernej Molan Barracks, experiences of cooperating with the armed forces were shared, followed by tours of the C-27J Spartan aircraft and the AS 532 AL Cougar helicopter. Both aircraft are also used for evacuation.

The conclusions of the meeting and the planned activities for the year 2026 aim to further strengthen cooperation, both between regional crisis centres and at the local level. They also seek to promote integration in the field of security, as well as the exchange of information on plans for the digitalisation of services and the use of artificial intelligence. Most importantly, they seek to encourage collaboration in the event of consular crises.

The meeting took place in a very friendly atmosphere, with all participants expressing their interest in increased cooperation. The representatives thanked Slovenia for the initiative, which was deemed very useful by all, as it serves as an excellent model of cooperation between the countries.