08.02.2021.
Politika’s interview with Minister Stefanović
Decision on compulsory military service by October
We have calculated that mandatory enlistment of 10,000 recruits per year would cost around eight billion dinars
For us, as a state, it is important to have young people who will be familiar with the military and who will know how to defend the country. There are many reasons why they could be motivated and satisfied with doing military service and not consider it, as some say, a waste of time but a time that will make them useful to their country, defence system and citizens, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović said in an interview with "Politika".
He clearly stated that he was in favour of reintroducing conscription and thus practically opened a public dialogue on this topic.
What will the public debate about possible reintroduction of mandatory enlistment look like?The public debate is already taking place, both in professional circles and in the public, and perhaps only the formalization of the debate in the Parliament is missing, which depends on the National Assembly. I expect that in the coming months the General Staff will take final position, as the most professional and competent institution in this country to give an opinion on this issue. By that time we will have formulated a position on what we want the military service to look like, i.e. what the armed forces consider the best conscription model, and the precise length of military service, from four to nine months. I expect, roughly speaking, that by September or October, the state will have made a decision on whether it wants to reintroduce compulsory military service. By that time, of course, we will have all the details about what the military service will look like. There are different opinions about that, but the goals are the same – to have a more efficient military, to increase its strength, to have sufficient number of soldiers to perform all tasks assigned to the armed forces in the coming period and to include part of conscripts in the reserve force. We haven’t trained any new reservists in the past ten years. Those people cannot be sent on any assignments because they have not even completed basic training and have no knowledge of the military. Plus, we have lost ten generations of people over the age of 65 that are no longer in the reserve. These are some of the priorities that will influence the defining of the model and length of military service, but there are still many factors to be considered, starting with the costs. We have calculated that mandatory enlistment of 10,000 recruits per year would cost around eight billion dinars(uniforms, food, fuel, heating, accommodation, transportation...). Salaries would be an additional cost, if it was decided that recruits should be paid salaries, and that would be another 1.2 to 1.8 billion, depending on whether salaries would be 20,000 or 30,000 dinars.
Would a model used by some Scandinavian countries be acceptable, where all recruits are entered into the records, and the state calls up only some of them to do military service?
No, we would opt for calling up all men for whom there is a legal basis to do so and who can be drafted. This is the model we are discussing and that I think would be the most useful. In fact, all those who meet the requirements would be drafted, after reaching the age of 18. Of course, there would be an option to postpone military service due to schooling or for some other justifiable reason. Also, there would be an option to claim the right to conscientious objection, which the Constitution prescribes. We are also considering whether such recruits should be put on duties that do not require carrying weapons for perhaps a longer period of time than other recruits, or whether they should do their military service in some other institutions under different conditions. So, these are all models that exist in Europe and around the world, and we are considering what the good practices are. Conscription would apply to men, while women would still be able to perform their military service voluntarily, as they can now.
Apart from tradition, what is the main reason for reintroducing conscription?Tradition is an important element, but not crucial. For us, as a state, it is important to have young people who will be familiar with the military and who will know how to defend the country. I think that it is also important that the knowledge acquired in the military can be used in life outside the military. For example, drafted soldiers, even if they do not have a category B driving licence, can apply for category C driving test, and thus automatically get category B licence, which saves them a lot of money, because they do not have to pay for it themselves. Also, they can train as cooks, learn to use communication systems, be mechanics and acquire other skills and experiences... They can undergo training in our units, including special units, or serve in IT and science companies, where they can contribute to the defence system. All in all, there are many reasons why young people could be motivated and satisfied with doing military service and not consider it, as some say, a waste of time but a time that will make them useful to their country, defence system and citizens. We will have a stronger reserve force, and some of the recruits will certainly want to have a career in the military.
How difficult is it for the defence system to provide a sufficient number of professional soldiers?
It is very difficult. That was far easier when Serbia’s economy was weak. Occasionally we can hear some retired military officers say how easily they manned the units at the time when the average salary in Serbia was around 300 euros, the unemployment rate around 26 percent, and the only secure job could be found where a job competition was constantly open, such as the military, despite low salaries. Today, Serbia’s economy is getting stronger, the average salary in the country is around 512 euros and people have the opportunity to find jobs in various sectors. To illustrate this point, we are currently trying to establish an infantry battalion in the barracks in Loznica, the Mayor of which told me that there were two new factories there with an average salary of 50,000 dinars. So, the armed forces have to offer that salary in order for someone to decide to do the hard work of a professional soldier. And these are all challenges we are facing. I am grateful to President Aleksandar Vučić for showing interest in the issue of soldiers’ salaries, which I told him about as soon as we analyzed what needed to be done urgently in the defence system. Without that, there can be no progress. My priorities in this department are to improve the employees’ standard of living and to continue equipping and modernizing the armed forces. I am extremely glad that our service members’ salaries have been increased, despite all the challenges and problems caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. We opted for a non-linear 9.2 to 17.6 percent increase for all members of the Serbian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence. Soldiers will get the biggest pay rises, followed by NCOs and finally officers. We want the people employed in the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence to see that their state takes care of them.
How big will professional soldiers’ salary be after the announced increase?
In March, when the total increase comes into effect, a corporal with ten years of experience will have 56,500 dinars, which is almost seven thousand dinars more than in December. And of course it is not enough, so we will continue working on salary increases this year as well. Our goal is for a soldier to have a minimum salary of 50,000 dinars when they first start working, and for a sergeant, as the first non-commissioned officer, to be paid no less than 60,000 dinars per month.
What will be the first exercises after the six-month moratorium?
The moratorium on military exercises expires on 8 March, and definitive agreements will be reached only after it expires. In the meantime, we are talking to everyone, but the exercises have not been scheduled yet. Foreign partners are certainly cautious because of Covid-19, and further plans will of course depend on the pandemic situation. For now, there are some important dates in the second half of the year. We are focused on the "Platinum Wolf" exercise in the "South" base in September or October, the "Partnership for Peace"exercise, which will be conducted in our country, and we have received an invitation to participate in the "Slavic Brotherhood" trilateral exercise at the end of September. We will also have several bilateral exercises in our country, which are currently being agreed on, but as I said, it all depends on the Covid pandemic situation. We will exercise with everyone who wants to, because Serbia is a neutral country, we have no problem conducting exercises with the Russians, Americans, EU countries, China, NATO, CSTO ... With all those who will help our armed forces achieve better interoperability. Our additional focus is, of course, on EU countries, because we have a large number of missions with them in Africa and the Middle East, and we are also thinking about reinforcing the mission in Cyprus. These missions are extremely important for our soldiers to gain experience and to be compatible with EU units. I expect a dynamic year, but realistically, due to Covid, the international exercises will probably be in full swing next year. Generally speaking, I prefer our partners from all over the world coming to Serbia, because here we can engage a large number of our unit members in such exercises where they gain an invaluable experience.
Will a radar be set up in Zlatibor, as announced?
We are working on setting up that radar and on modernizing the radars owned by the armed forces, but we are also considering what new radars we need. We want to set up radar on Kopaonik again, but of course there are problems that are not easy to solve. That, however, remains our armed forces’ strategic goal. I also talked about that to KFOR Commander Major General Frank Federici and the Allied Joint Force Command Naples Commander, Admiral Robert Burke. We will see what NATO's position is, since that point in Kopaonik is in the Ground Safety Zone, which is also under the authority of the KFOR Commander.
Why did you advocate closer cooperation between the armed forces and KFOR?
I want us to always have fast and direct communication, because KFOR is there to ensure stability in Kosovo and Metohija. When tension builds up in our southern province, it is very important that KFOR takes all steps to reduce that tension and protect the Serbian population, since no one threatens the Albanian population. I asked KFOR to provide security to the Serbian population, and I believe that General Federici understands the position of the Serbian people. There is also the possibility of intensifying joint patrols in order to improve mutual trust and ensure greater security. Namely, there is the problem of illegal logging in the Ground Safety Zone, where armed Albanians even opened fire on some occasions, so I think that more frequent joint patrols along the administrative line would reduce that kind of danger. Besides that, it is also known that some states participate in the attempt to transform the so-called Kosovo Security Force into armed forces and we believe that NATO must play a more significant role and prevent this type of action, which is not in compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244. This is where KFOR could play a more significant role and prevent such forces from entering the north of Kosovo and Metohija without permission and instil fear among the Serbian population. There is, of course, the possibility of joint fight against terrorism, given the return of fighters from the Syrian battlefield to Kosovo and Metohija, because it is in the international interest to prevent the creation of terrorist cells.
