27.03.2020.
General Nebojša Pavković: Vučić is creating modern armed forces
In an interview with General Nebojša Pavković, a legendary commander of the Third Army of the Armed Forces of Yugoslavia, which the “Vesti” weekly is publishing in today’s issue entitled “Modern Armed Forces are being born”, General Pavković estimates that the Serbian Armed Forces are the leader in the region today.
- President Vučić started creating new, modern armed forces and managed to modernize them in record time bringing them to the level of the strongest and most capable in the region. The Serbian Armed Forces must be respected not only by the armed forces of the countries in the region, but beyond. Of course, he would not be able to do it alone, but with the support of the entire Government of Serbia, and in particular the current Minister of Defence – says General Pavković for “Vesti”.Referring to the Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin, General Pavković says that Minister Vulin "has done immeasurably more for the armed forces and the defence system than any other minister of defence so far."
- Which of the former ministers of defence, who are now critics, was better than him? What good did they do for the Armed Forces, other than depriving them from good quality personnel and completely degrading them? Unlike them, Ministers Gašić and Vulin have handed over more flat keys to the members of the armed forces and their families than all the ministers in the last twenty years. If we analyse what the armed forces have gained with Minister Vulin, we will see a wide range of progress from reorganisation, a new doctrine, modernization of command system at all levels, modernization of communication systems, equipping with the most advanced locally manufactured combat equipment, equipping the armed forces with fighter aviation and helicopters, enhancing combat training and inter-army cooperation, advancement in the field of military-publishing activity, construction of military infrastructure,“ says General Pavković, adding that all this has been achieved through “skilled and effective commanding over the Serbian Armed Forces whose leader is a modern Chief of the General Staff, General Mojsilović“.
- Serbia can already be proud of its Armed Forces and the people who lead them - General Pavković points out in an interview with “Vesti”.
He recalls that last year he called on all the members of the Third Army and his fellow soldiers to support the policy of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić. In response to the question why Pavković did this, he said “until only fifteen years ago, we were not allowed to talk about our heroic defence of our homeland, because it was a forbidden topic. It was only with the arrival of Vučić that tribute began to be paid to our fallen fellow soldiers, and today the media write and talk about our Armed Forces, about the heroes from Košare and Paštrik, monuments are erected and streets are named after them. ”
According to him, before this administration came to power, all the ministers of defence literally destroyed the armed forces, retired the most capable commanding officers and destroyed the combat equipment that could still be used, but also brand new combat systems.- Their goal was to divest our country of the armed forces, which our people trust most, and to make the country dependent on foreign mentors and their armed forces. Today's critics were proud of the melting of tanks and the stamping on and destruction of rifles and “Strela“2M anti-aircraft missile systems - General Pavković reminds.
I know that my views on the armed forces will not be understood by everyone in Serbia, General Pavković told “Vesti”.
- That does not bother me because I am in a position to watch from a distance, unburdened with everyday political events, what is happening with the armed forces and who is responsible for that. That is why I will always ask my fellow soldiers to rightly stand by the people who love Serbia and its armed forces, President Vučić, Minister Vulin and the Chief of the General Staff General Mojsilović. Most importantly, the Serbian Armed Forces have already risen above all these daily political stories and are currently the best in the region - General Nebojša Pavković points out in an interview with journalist Đorđe Barović for the “Vesti” weekly and concludes: Our people can count on the Serbian Armed Forces as a guarantor of Serbia's security, stability and prosperity.
