13.12.2019.
President Vučić meets with Minister of the Armies of France
The President of the Republic of Serbia and the Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces, Aleksandar Vučić, met today with the Minister of the Armies of the Republic of France, Florence Parley, in the building of the General Secretariat of the President of the Republic.
The meeting was also attended by Minister of Defense, Aleksandar Vulin, Assistant Minister of Defense for Defense Policy, Milan Ranković and Assistant Minister for Material Resources, Nenad Miloradović.
At the ensuing press conference, President Vučić emphasized that this was the first visit by a French Defense Minister after 35 years.- We had to wait for the administration of Emanuel Macron and Ms Parley to finally have the French Defense Minister come to Belgrade and Serbia. I am truly pleased with that and thank you so very much for coming to our country. Please convey the warmest greetings on behalf of the citizens of Serbia and me personally to President Macron; thank him for his exceptional visit during the summer and for all the messages he conveyed to the citizens of Serbia, said President Vučić.
Speaking about cooperation with the Republic of France, President Vučić emphasized that we cooperate well in different missions and that we are ready to participate in bilateral missions with France.
- For us, the French are friends, we were friends in 1914 and 1918, in the Second World War and we must look to the future sharing a common or almost unique perspective, said President Vučić, adding that he is very grateful to France for the support on our European path.
According to President Vučić, we have an increasing number of activities including the Serbian and French militaries.
- The French will participate in a significant exercise in Serbia, which will take place in June. We are extremely fortunate because of this, as it will expand the knowledge and perspectives of our people and we will see how we position ourselves, what we can learn from the French Armed forces and soldiers. At the same time, as element of our military-technical and military-economic cooperation, as you know, we have already bought the Mistral rockets, for which we are currently due to pay the first installment – the President stressed, adding that the state is never late in her payments and always strictly adheres to the contract.
- Thanks to the French for wanting to work with us on this issue. There are many more areas in the field of military industry and armaments where we are interested in French products and have discussed this. I believe that in the weeks and months to come we will have some other positive things in store that may surprise you. In any case, Serbia will maintain its military neutrality but also develop better relations with France – said President Vučić.Minister of the Armies of France, Parley expressed her satisfaction with the visit to Serbia, which is a continuation of President Macron’s visit when it was agreed that the French-Serbian partnership should be advanced further in the field of defense.
- The Brotherhood in Arms has remained in our hearts since World War I, and now we have the grandchildren of survivors who bear witness to our shared history. Before arriving at the General Secretariat of the President of the Republic of Serbia, we visited the Military Cemetery where French and Serbian soldiers who fought side by side on the Eastern Front were buried. We will not forget the contribution that the Serbian people have made during the First World War. I would also like to thank the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and the Minister of Defense, Aleksandar Vulin, for their reception in Belgrade and for the very rich exchange we had – said the Minister of the Armies of France.
Speaking about bilateral defense relations, Minister Parley stressed that there was a common interest in developing a strategic partnership.
- There are open and free dialogues between the French and Serbian Defense Ministries and it is very important for us to find out how Serbia analyzes the roles for the future throughout the continent and in the region when it comes to current issues – such as the future of the NATO, the future of “Kosovo”, terrorism and organized crime, that is what we are talking about. We wish to further develop our operational cooperation in the field of defense – learning French in the military, training your staff and the regular presence of your students in France and sometime in the future of the French in your Armed Forces – these are the initial elements of cooperation. However, in addition to all this we can do more, Minister Parley said, adding that the participation of French and Serbian forces in military exercises was one of the models they mentioned.
As she pointed out, military cooperation is also reflected in the field of armaments.
- Airbus helicopters have already been delivered, and a maintenance center is being launched, and I am glad that Europe has decided to do so. Additional forms of cooperation will be developed within the procurement of the Mistral-3 defense system. It is a sign of confidence that we show to Serbia – said the Minister of the French Armies.According to her, Serbia has decided to be militarily neutral and France fully respects her position.
- That makes more sense in the light of Serbia’s active participation in external actions of the European Union or the United Nations in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mali, but also in Somalia and Lebanon, together with the French contingents or other European contingents. It is also my wish to welcome Serbia’s significant involvement in difficult terrain where truly no one wants to go. I say this very seriously, especially since on 25 November, France lost 13 members in Mali. It is precisely these external operations initiated at the request of the states concerned that are decisive for our collective security. We have to face all the challenges and France cannot do it alone. International collective action is necessary in these areas and I would therefore like to thank Serbia once again for her role as well as on behalf of other European partners participating in Africa – said Minister Parley at the end of her address.
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