Regional cooperation in South East Europe (SEE) is of great importance today, yet various initiatives to stimulate it have not yet led to any significant results. This has undermined peace and stability in SEE. This paper considers various initiatives aimed at stimulating cooperation in SEE, including EU policies towards the region. It then discusses some aspects of regional cooperation, primarily economic. A multinational case study the Advanced Systems for Prevention and Early Detection of Forest Fires (ASPires) project is discussed in detail as a successful example of SEE cooperation on cross-border issues that have civilian, ecological, and defense implications.