27.11.2020.
Interview with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Stefanović for “Objektiv“ portal
In his interview for the “Objektiv” portal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, PhD, talks about the plans for further improvement of the defence system and the Serbian Armed Forces, the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and major security challenges.
Can you assess this early the key differences between managing the defence system and the Ministry of the Interior?Although at first glance these two systems appear to be similar, they are essentially quite different. The system of the Ministry of Defence is more complex in terms of its organisational units, such as military health care. The armed forces have a completely different mission, and thus different tasks. They are the key guarantor of the stability of a country, they are the key factor in deterring any attack against our country, and their task is to always be ready to respond to any challenge in order for Serbia to be safe. On the other hand, members of the Ministry of the Interior have complex and difficult tasks which the citizens have the opportunity to see on a daily basis.
What exactly do you mean?
To start with, you are more likely to come across a traffic warden or an officer who issues you an ID card or passport, while you are more likely to see soldiers in situations when they help our people during floods or other natural disasters or in similar situation where the military help their people, such as this pandemic. In fact, this less direct communication between citizens and the armed forces is also one of the differences compared to the system in the Ministry of the Interior.
Could you sum up your first impressions for us?
First of all, I have tried to learn as much as I could about the system in these thirty days, even though I did have some prior knowledge. To get acquainted with everything that was necessary for me to function in the beginning, and to be able to keep up the good work of my predecessors. Also, like my fellow ministers, I have come to the new department at a time when the 2020 budget is being rebalanced and the new 2021 budget is being prepared. Therefore, I had to analyse the Ministry’s priorities in a very short time, of course in accordance with the tasks set by President Vučić related to modernization, equipping and strengthening the capabilities of the armed forces, so that a new budget could be prepared. My first weeks in the Ministry were, of course, marked by the continuation of the fight against Covid, from the protection of our members to the strengthening of military health care capacities, their technical resources, to hiring new health workers. Of course I have established close cooperation with General Mojsilović, the Chief of the General Staff, visited all major organisational units of the armed forces and got acquainted with their main tasks, in order to see what I can do to help and how I can contribute to this system being even better.
What will be your main goals and tasks as Minister of Defence in the coming period?In addition to equipping and modernizing the armed forces my goal is to improve the working conditions and increase soldiers’ standard of living. I talked to President Vučić about what we can do, bearing in mind that the coronavirus situation is very complex and that the state spends most of the money on helping the citizens and strengthening health care capacities. Thanks to what President Vučić did in the previous period, we have a much stronger economy today, and the Serbian Armed Forces can count on that kind of support, i.e. they can expect a salary increase in the coming period, but also investments that will boost our efficiency, so that the necessities in terms of the armed forces’ equipment are not neglected.
Your department was once headed by President Aleksandar Vučić who recently said that he gave you “his ministry” from which he had moved to the position of a Prime Minister. Do you feel an even greater sense of responsibility because of that?
It is a great honour and privilege to work for your country in any ministry, and being the minister of defence is an exceptional honour for every person. You have the opportunity to serve your country, and the fact that President Vučić once headed this department, means that I have an even greater obligation, that I must justify the trust he placed in me and gain the trust of people in the Ministry of Defence. I have been in this system for just under thirty days, but I am more than ready and I don’t mind working day and night to be able to meet the expectations of both President Vučić and the Ministry of Defence. And I believe that we can achieve good results, with the support of the President.
The Armed Forces are the key guarantor of Serbia’s security, especially now, at the time of turbulent politics throughout the world. Where do major security threats come from?The reason why we are strengthening our capabilities is so that the citizens of Serbia can sleep peacefully and feel safe, and so that the professionals working in our systems can do their job and prevent anyone from endangering us. There are various security threats in the modern world. Apart from terrorism, which must not be ruled out as a global threat, and cyber-attacks, there are also phenomena such as the Covid-19 pandemic or migrations that change the image of the entire world in terms of security and our everyday life. In addition to global challenges, we are of course facing the issue of protection of the Serbian people in Kosovo and are closely monitoring the situation in our southern province.
You stated that Serbia had no aspirations towards becoming a NATO member country. What are Serbia's aspirations when it comes to international military partnership?
We always have a very clear strategic goal - to be neutral. We want to cooperate with everyone, no matter how complex it sometimes is and even though our partners from both the East and the West sometimes get angry with us for working with the others. We want cooperation with everyone and partnerships that guarantee our country’s stability, but just as President Vučić said - the policy of our country is our policy, the policy of a country that wants to be independent, autonomous, and sovereign and that wants to make decisions that are in the best interest of our people.
Serbia, like all countries in the world, is currently fighting a war against the coronavirus pandemic. How are the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence coping in this war?First of all, I must thank all the doctors, technicians, nurses and all the people working in the military health care system. They have really devoted themselves completely to this fight and have become part of the Covid hospitals and treated patients who have other health problems. Our military health care has shown why it enjoys great public trust. We are fighting together with our people against the pandemic and I believe that our members have so far successfully responded to these difficult challenges.
The Covid hospital in the military complex in Batajnica, the largest and most important of its kind in Serbia, has been built and equipped in record time…
Yes, it has, although many people had doubts when the construction of this 18,000-square-metre hospital started just four months ago, where more than 1,500 health professionals will be treating people and providing moderate to severe Covid patients with the necessary, fast and modern medical care. At the same time, we are building a more than 7,000-square-metrehospital in Kruševac. Putting such a system on its feet in four months is a huge success. The construction of both these hospitals is a key indicator of how much we have progressed economically as a country, after decades of stagnation. When it comes to military health care, we also have a lot of projects ahead of us regarding the renovation of large medical institutions, such as the Military Medical Academy. It is a project that we will hopefully be able to complete in the next few years.
