25.03.2021.

Stefanović: Covid-19 pandemic and security risk

According to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, PhD, the Covid-19 pandemic is one of the challenges that marked not only this year, but the previous one as well, and this pandemic is an example of how a health situation can pose a national security threat.

Addressing the 10th class of participants in the Advanced Security and Defence Studies at the ceremony held in the “General Jovan Mišković” barracks to mark the beginning of the course, Stefanović pointed out that our country had recognized all health, economic and security aspects of this challenge at its very beginning, and led by President Aleksandar Vučić, it had responded adequately.

- Enough medical and protective equipment has been provided for the citizens of our country, hospitals have been built in a short time and the entire system has responded effectively to ensure that life in our country continues as normal and that the citizens are satisfied and safe – Stefanović said.

According to him, every day of the Covid-19 pandemic has consequences for the economy as well, which affects every other aspect of life. Bearing that in mind, the Minister of Defence emphasizes the dangers of anti-vaccination initiatives, noting that without vaccines, the epidemic is prolonged, which affects all economic and security factors and exacerbates the situation in the country.

- We must always be fully prepared for all challenges. Today we have less and less classic challenges, and more and more asymmetric and hybrid ones, i.e. threats that are no longer purely military but combined, including the spheres of economy, health and security in the broadest sense – Minister Stefanović said.

He pointed out that a lot had been done since 2012 to strengthen our defence system.

- When you allow the defence system to decay over a period of time, and then decide to invest in it, it requires huge amounts of money, especially given the technological advances in weapons and equipment. Today, the situation is incomparably better, but it is still not ideal, because the defence system is large and expensive. My task is to continue working on strengthening our defence system together with my colleagues in the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces- Stefanović said.

Wishing the new students a lot of success, the minister pointed out that the Advanced Security and Defence Studies provided an opportunity to carefully consider our country’s capabilities for addressing all security challenges and the importance of cooperation between state institutions.

- The Ministry of Defence started the Advanced Security and Defence Studies in response to the increasingly complex global situation and the obligations arising from the National Security Strategy. They are based on a coordinated response in the security sector, foreign policy, economic policy, geostrategy and other aspects in which the state must provide a response in this kind of situation - Minister Stefanović pointed out.

Stressing the importance of the fact that participants in this course came from various state institutions, he emphasized that all these institutions considered this training important for further progress in the development and implementation of defence and security policy.

- You will have the opportunity to learn about all the challenges that our defence system and country are faced with, how they can be addressed and how you can give the best possible response in this type of situation, i.e. how to prepare your institutions to respond adequately in risky situations - the Minister of Defence pointed out.

Expressing special gratitude to the Advanced Security and Defence Studies lecturers, Minister Stefanović, who had also completed these studies, pointed out that ten generations of students testified to the fact that the armed forces had recognized the importance of this type of training in time.

Head of the National Defence School, Colonel Mićo Suvajac also wished success to the course participants.

- This is the fourth and highest level of special training programs for professional members of the Serbian Armed Forces and civil servants. This type of training was organized to prepare you for performing higher command and staff duties and carrying out assignments in the fields of security and defence - Colonel Suvajac pointed out.

Addressing the participants, Colonel Suvajac pointed out that they would have the opportunity to be lectured by the best Defence University professors and the wider academic community, ambassadors of leading countries, but also to visit numerous economic and state institutions, as well as the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces units and institutions.