20.12.2016.
Reception on the occasion of New Year and Christmas holidays
The traditional reception hosted by Defence Minister and Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff on the occasion of the upcoming New Year and Christmas holidays was held tonight in the House of Guard in Topcider. The reception was attended by representatives of the legislative, executive and judicial authorities, military and diplomatic representatives accredited in Serbia, members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed forces, representatives of the religious communities and many other guests from cultural and public life.
Greeting the guests on behalf of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, State Secretary Nenad Neric looked back on the work and results of defence system in the previous period.
“One of the main tasks was to strengthen capabilities of the Serbian Armed Forces, which we successfully carried out through 170 joint exercises with a special emphasis on the exercise “Morava” as one of the most complex exercises with around 13.000 participants. Moreover, the high level of achieved interoperability has been confirmed by taking part in multinational exercises in Serbia and abroad”, Neric said.
He expressed satisfaction in the sphere of modernization and equipping of our Armed Forces with modern weapons.
“Serbian defence industry enterprises have an important role in meeting needs and improving capabilities of our Armed Forces and other subjects in security sector. Those enterprises have shown continuos growth in production for four years, they regularly settle their obligations arising from taxes and contributions and give their full contribution to the economic growth of Serbia”, State Secretary stressed.
Neric emphasized that international military cooperation has been developing in accordance with the defined national interests, “four pillars of foreign policy and proclaimed military neutrality”, that “we have adopted a balanced foreign policy and have international military cooperation with more than 60 countries”. He reminded of current engagement of 325 members of the Serbian Armed Forces in 11 multinational operations in the world, of a special security challenge this year – migrant crisis, of increased interest for voluntary military service under arms, which lasts six months since December, as well as housing of members of defence system.
“All of this tells us that the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces represent a compact, stable and completely functional system today capable of performing all set tasks. However, our obligation is to improve that system and make it even better and more functional according to possibilities. We regard the following year 2017 with this vision and as a chance to do even more. Defence budget in 2017 will have a social, operational and partly developing component. The planned donation of the Russian Federation of 6 MiG aircraft will strengthen our fighter aviation and enable better protection of our sky”, Neric stressed.
According to him, “we are doing everything to make professional and social status of the members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces better in compliance with economic possibilities of Serbia”.
“We will raise salaries by five percent, there will be no lay-offs, and by reform of military health care system we will provide conditions for better medical care of the military insured.
Members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, the existing security challenges and greater application of new technologies require that we strive to always advance, to be a step in front of all, to be better. Thus next year we expect all of you to invest even greater effort to contribute to successful performance of all set tasks and as usual, by your conscientious and responsible work, give your full contribution to defence system improvement”, State Secretary said and extended greetings for the upcoming New Year and Christmas holidays to all.
The part of the Mixed Choir of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces and the Artistic Ensemble of the Ministry of Defence “Stanislav Binicki” performed at the reception and the five-minute-long film which shortly presents the most significant results of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces in 2016 was shown.
PHOTOGALLERY
VIDEOGALLERY
mp4 