10.09.2021.
Minister Stefanović: People like to see their military, by strengthening it, we are not sending an aggressive message
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanovic, PhD, told Radio Television of Serbia that by strengthening the military, we are saying that Serbia knows that having a strong military means that we do not have to fear that someone will attack us. We are sending the message that we will not allow anyone to attack our people, Stefanović said.
Celebratory activities on Saturday at Belgrade’s Nikola Pašić Square - 139 cadets will be promoted to the first officer ranks.
The ceremony will be attended by the President of Serbia, and the Serbian Armed Forces aviation, the "Stanislav Binički" Ensemble and the Guard Orchestra will participate in the programme, adding grandeur to it.
Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, who was today’s guest on RTS Dnevnik (Journal), said that this was a special event not only for the armed forces but for all citizens of Serbia.
According to him, the promotion of the youngest officers, lieutenants in our armed forces, means that as of tomorrow, our armoured, infantry, logistics, CBRN units and military health care will have new officers.
"I want to thank the military medical staff who does a lot of work every day to protect the citizens and I make a personal appeal to citizens to get vaccinated because that is the only effective protection we can get," said Stefanović.
The Minister says that a dress rehearsal will be held today at 5 p.m. "I ask citizens to show understanding, people like to see their military, and it is a special honour, pride and joy to be a military officer," said the Minister of Defence.
"We call for compliance with anti-epidemic measures, we have laid down the conditions – wearing face masks and keeping a proper distance, the parents of our youngest officers will be there. We invite people to come and see their military, the promotion ceremony, we will have a nice cultural and artistic programme, and our Air Force will perform flyovers," he says.
The message that the military is sending
Stefanović says that the President of Serbia will award the top three cadets, and adds that the task given to him by Vučić is to make our armed forces as strong as possible in order to protect the country.
By strengthening our military, we are not sending an aggressive message, we are saying that Serbia knows that having a strong military means that we do not have to fear that someone will attack us. We are ready to build peace and stability with everyone in the region and the world. We are sending the message that we will not allow anyone to attack our people or territory, it is a decent and clear message," Stefanović pointed out.
"My task in this tenure is to increase the service members’ standard of living and to work on the development of domestic weapons, to equip our armed forces with the most modern weapons and to make our armed forces much stronger than they were before. There were periods in history when our armed forces were completely impoverished," said Stefanović.
According to him, the promotion of cadets is a nicer topic. "I had the opportunity to talk to a large number of cadets. When you see their desire to continue their professional career as officers, you understand why the military is so special and inextricably linked to its people," Stefanović underlined.
Minister of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Serbia
Stefanović says that President Vučić’s policy, which he presented through the "Open Balkans” idea, is that we must look at our neighbours and our country and build stability, which is good for attracting investment, capital.
He notes that capital is afraid of the countries in the region where there is no stability.
The Minister of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina is coming on an official visit to Serbia. Seven cadets from Bosnia and Herzegovina are being trained here, and they will be promoted tomorrow, so he will attend the promotion ceremony as well.
"Even when we do not agree on all matters, we must build stability for ourselves and our neighbours. We will discuss military cooperation and military health care. This is the first visit of the Minister of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2013, we can discuss ways to improve cooperation for the benefit of all citizens," Stefanović said.
Salary increase in the military
Stefanović says that it is important to talk to people, it is a good principle, because some COs do not want to reveal every detail.
"When you talk to people who wear military boots at work every day, you can find out what the boots are like, you can hear from people who work in maintenance how the equipment is repaired, what the problems are," he says.
When you ask people what their motives, desires and dreams are, it is important for you to hear that they are highly committed and ready to work day and night, the Minister of Defence points out.
Stefanović says that Vučić was able to recognize the problems in that sector and what the military needs, and underlines that, in order for the military to become more appealing, it is necessary to increase salaries.
"We also had an extraordinary pay increase, I expect that the next one will be very soon for everyone in the public sector, including the military. I see that economic trends are great, but I do not want to be irresponsible. If the country is doing well, there will be more money,” he says.
According to him, in order to make their occupations more competitive, professional soldiers, officers and non-commissioned officers will get the largest pay increase. The economy is growing and that must be reflected in this sector as well, said Stefanović.
September class is starting voluntary service
The Minister says that there are more than 440 recruits in this call-up, which will be the largest number in the last four years, and this is something that has to be worked on.
He notes that September 15 - the National Flag Day - is celebrated in Serbia and Republika Srpska in memory of the breakthrough of the Salonica Front.
"A big static display of arms and military equipment will be held at Ušće with over 130 weapons displayed, some of them modernized, some new, we always have something new, you will be able to see how much the armed forces have progressed and how much progress we can make relying on our own intelligence," Stefanović concluded.
Source: RTS
