21.11.2019.
President Vučić: We are not going to change our policy towards Russia
The President of the Republic of Serbia and the Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces, Aleksandar Vučić, informed the public at tonight’s Press Conference held at the General Secretariat of the President of the Republic, that the only item on the agenda of the National Security Council session that preceded the Conference was intelligence directed against the Republic of Serbia, the need to take counterintelligence measures for the protection of our country in the future and to strengthen Serbia’s defense capacities against such activities.
The National Security Council was attended by key state and military leaders, including the Minister of Defense, Aleksandar Vulin, the Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, General Milan Mojsilović, the Directors of the Military Security and Military Intelligence Agencies.- As a country, we have been confronted for many years with the highly offensive activities of various intelligence services in the territory of Serbia, and we could divide these activities into two groups – intelligence activities of the most developed and powerful countries in the world and that of the regional countries that have a strong interest in the territory of Serbia whose intelligence activities are performed at full capacity, and directed against the interests of Serbia – said the President of Serbia, adding that the foreign agencies perform their intelligence activities for two reasons.
As the first goal of foreign intelligence agencies, President Vučić cites the gathering of significant intelligence with the intention of influencing the policy or changing the official policy in Serbia, and secondly the full intelligence of Serbia’s strength and capabilities in building its own capacities in order to reduce the effectiveness of foreign policy and any other effort made by Serbia.
Commenting on the video showing the handover of money featuring Russian intelligence Lieutenant Colonel, Georgy Kleban and a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the Serbian Armed Forces, Z. K. that was in fact the reason for convening today’s session of the National Security Council after the video was published online and in the media, President Vučić said that the Republic of Serbia has repeatedly documented the activity of the Lieutenant Colonel Z. K. not only with Kleban, but also with the Croatian service, as well as Kleban’s contacts with other members of the Serbian Armed Forces.
President Vučić pointed out that such and other activities documented by the domestic security services testify that Serbia is subject to strong intelligence pressure, and added that not only that Serbia will not change its policy, but will continue to fight for its military neutrality even more fervently.- All that has happened to us has reaffirmed us in our position even more. Not only will we not change our politics, but we will ever more strongly, ever more forcefully fight for the military neutrality of the Republic of Serbia, for our self-proclaimed and independent path, to protect our country, our Armed Forces, to protect our skies, our own territory and its citizens ourselves. We will strengthen our Armed Forces, we will strengthen our police, our intelligence and counter-intelligence sector. We will continue to increase investment every year. We can do this, we have the means and the ways and Serbia will grow even stronger. Serbia is a free country, country of a libertarian people. We have never consented to and will never be subject to someone else’s rule. We are the ones who wish to have the citizens of Serbia decide on their own fate and their future – said President Vučić.
The President of Serbia stressed that he expects the state leadership over the following two months at the latest to come forward with a comprehensive, general legal-political act, which would be adopted by the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia; this act would be a full confirmation of the internal and foreign policies, confirmation of the military neutrality of the Republic of Serbia and further strengthening of precisely such a state, military and political positions.
As regards the relations of the Republic of Serbia with the Russian Federation, President Vučić said that Georgy Kleban, who was an Assistant Military Attaché of the Russian Federation to Serbia, is no longer in the territory of our country, and that Serbia has highly friendly relations with the Russian Federation.- We will not change our policy towards Russia. We see it as a fraternal and friendly country and will continue the best of cooperation in all areas of society, with the addition that in the intelligence area we will protect and preserve our country. Serbia will not change its policy in terms of turning to NATO. Serbia will not join the NATO, nor will it join the CSTO or any other military alliance, and I reiterate this loud and clear. Everything that happened to us has only reinforced our determination to strengthen the position of our own self-reliance, independence and the same self-reliant, independent and sovereign view into the future – said President Vučić, adding that Serbia does not forget the support of Russia in all international organizations regarding its integrity, as well as Russia’s support when it comes to Serbia’s military equipment.
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