09.01.2010.
Interview with Minister Šutanovac in the “Press” daily
Šutanovac: Serbia in NATO, why not
No one will impose Serbia joining NATO as a condition, but if we wish to have the European system of values in Serbia, it will also include the Euro-Atlantic security system"
The Defence Minister Dragan Šutanovac said for “Press” that Serbia did not have to become a NATO member to be a part of the EU. However, he pointed out that approximation with NATO was “a natural process in Europe”. He added that the issue of Serbia joining NATO was not only a political but also an economic one, and stressed that Serbia, i.e. the Armed Forces, should first take full advantage of the Partnership for Peace before joining NATO. - The truth is that no one will impose Serbia joining NATO as a condition for the EU accession, but it is also the truth that if we wish to establish the European system of values in Serbia, it will also include the Euro-Atlantic security system. At present, Serbia is a participant in the Partnership for Peace (PfP) Programme, just like Ireland, Austria, Finland, Sweden, the countries with the developed armies, but that are not the members of NATO. For Serbia, NATO membership is not necessary, but the partnership is.
What is better for Serbia: military neutrality or joining NATO?
- The best answer to this question should be given by those who are dealing with real life in Serbia, and they are the people from the economy and security sectors. If we ask ourselves whether NATO is good for Serbia or not, perhaps the right question would be whether we would rather have the real estate in Serbia of higher or lower value or higher or lower graded Serbia’s credit rating, or whether we are better of being integrated leaders in the region or an isolated island ...
So, what you want to say is that with joining NATO the prices of the real estate would jump?
- If Macedonia points out in its commercials broadcasted in the world media that it is “a country aspirant for EU and NATO membership”, it means that they are aware of the importance of that fact and the fact that thus they are upgrading their credit rating. Croatia’s credit rating jumped by one degree on the day when they received an Action Plan for joining NATO. Romania and Hungary have had much higher investments in the years after accession to the membership than before.
What would Serbia lose if it joins NATO?
- I do not see any negative consequences for Serbia.
Well, what is the problem, why don’t you suggest joining NATO?
- Serbia has an objective problem which is the bombing 10 years ago. I think that we will have to discuss that topic, especially bearing in mind that we all wish to improve the living standard in Serbia. But, the most important issue today is full participation of Serbia in PfP.
Has the issue of NATO membership been discussed at the meetings of the top government officials?
- This issue is being discussed in two planes, one of them being the security plane, and the other one the foreign-policy plane. If Serbia wishes to be a leader in the region, it will have to engage more actively in the so-called Euro-Atlantic security system, sooner or later. From the foreign-policy standpoint, the major concern of Serbia is to preserve Kosovo and Metohija and there is a view that any further approximation with NATO would undermine that interest.
So to put it in other words, you say that Serbia would have a problem with Russia over its joining NATO, because they support us regarding Kosovo?
- I do not see that Russia has any problems with Bulgaria which is in NATO. As I can see, Russia and Bulgaria signed an agreement on the “South Stream” gas pipeline, and I can also see that Vladimir Putin visited Croatia, which is a member of NATO... From this position I do not see what harm it could cause.
You did not answer whether we would have a problem with Russia over NATO?
- On the contrary, I think that everyone who is friendly to Serbia can not be bothered if Serbia wishes to develop in a positive direction. Also, no one of our friends can be against us if we wish to provide better life for our citizens. Benefit of the citizens of Serbia must not be an obstacle to cooperation with anyone.
How does the Armed Forces respond to the issue of joining NATO?
- The Armed Forces executes the orders, but the Armed Forces can help to better living in Serbia even without the NATO membership. The Armed Forces has the developing capabilities; it also deals with the scientific and technical development. When the Armed Forces opens a base, the whole region relies on it in the economic and security terms. We expect that thus will be in the south of Serbia, where we have recently opened the “South" base. The Armed Forces represents a huge foreign-policy potential, and the fact that we have been participating in the peacekeeping operations around the world shows how much we contribute to improving the reputation of our country.
Since the last year our forces have been deployed in Chad together with the Norwegian ones, and Norway is the country that has the largest investment in Serbia – “Telenor”. Spain is the country with which we are planning to participate in a peacekeeping mission, and this is the country which has assumed the EU presidency. Only in the last year, eight defence ministers visited Serbia, and I had 18 visits abroad. All this is speaking about the capabilities of the Armed Forces to improve the cooperation with other countries, while improving the life in Serbia at the same time.
In the last year, the defence industry was the best part of our economy, because you made contracts worth more than a billion dollars for the export of weapons and equipment.
- It is evident that our defence industry made a major breakthrough in the foreign market. One of the priorities of the Ministry was to promote our defence industry and, with a large number of travels I had and the engagements of our defence attachés and ambassadors, now we have record-high-value contracts, even when compared to those of the former SFRY. Our major jobs are in Iraq, Algeria, Egypt, opportunities are being opened in Libya, and, we hope, in Kuwait as well. Perhaps, what is the most important link in the relations between our forces and defence industry and the armies of these countries are hundreds of foreign officers who were educated at our Military Academy.
Professionalisation of the Armed Forces should be completed by the end of 2010. What does that mean?
- That means that from 2011 on there will no longer be compulsory military service. And those who wish to apply will have the opportunity to receive training and obtain a certificate in the end.
And how would the Serbian professional soldier look like, what would be his salary, would he have a flat ...
- A professional soldier of Serbia enters into a contract for a definite time, and if he proves good he may have opportunity to become a non-commissioned officer. The wages of a professional soldier are currently around 300 euros, and they do not have the right to apply for housing. Sorry, but who will apply for a salary of 300 euros?
- I do not think that 300 euros is the only imperative, but the main thing, as everywhere in the world, will be the deployment to peacekeeping operations. There we can speak about the allowance of 1,500 to 3,000 dollars a month, plus the salary they receive in Serbia. What I know for sure is that some countries even face corruption in relation to the deployment of troops to peacekeeping operations.
What will be the number of dismissals from the Armed Forces?
- In the previous year, we dismissed about a thousand people from the Institute in ?a?ak and Batajnica, and about 460 employees who worked in the military institutions. There are positions which are to be abolished, but the officers who are capable of continuing the work are offered other positions. On the other hand, we also employ a large number of people; in addition to the professional soldiers, there will be need for personnel in the Military Security Agency and Military Intelligence Agency and in some sectors within the Ministry. Apart from the restrictive budget, I believe that we will be one of the largest employers in this year. The point is that we are reducing administration while increasing the numbers of operative workpower!
The main task of Serbia is to arrest Ratko Mladic. What are you doing in search for him?
- I'm not involved in the daily operation jobs. The Military Security Agency is a part of the Action Team, which does their part of job. What is important to me is that we fulfilled the promise – that nobody will have suspicions any more that the Armed Forces protects Mladic! It is difficult to predict when Mladic will be arrested, but I think that yesterday is also late.
You are also the Vice President of the Democratic Party. What do you expect from the party’s electoral convention?
- I do not expect any tensions. I think that the party is stable and that currently it is doing its best in the government institutions and for the benefit of the citizens of Serbia.
Do you think that the Democratic Party needs some changes?
- Everyone needs to change. The upcoming changes relate to our programme documents, and probably the Statute. But, as the Vice President of the Democratic Party I would not like to speak about that in public, but I will put forward my views before the party authorities.
Are you going to run for a vice president?
- I have never run for a vice president, and if the party committees nominate me again, I will accept that again with great pleasure. For me, that function is of the utmost importance and of the greatest honour of all I ever held.
Does it bother you that the Democratic Party is being referred to as the one involved in corruption?
- This is something that we have to demystify in 2010. First we were the domestic traitors and foreign mercenaries, and it took us several years to show that it is not true. The Democratic Party is not a party of corruption, and the fact is that some media accuse some members of the Democratic Party of corruption without any evidence...
You do not need media to accuse anybody; it is enough for the Democratic Party that President Boris Tadic, who accuses them the most...
- The President criticizes, and it has nothing to do with corruption. President Tadic will not protect anyone who is involved in crime, and that he proved. And the criticism which the President expressed in media has been presented as an accusation.
S. MARJANOVIC
Exclusive: Serbian unmanned aerial vehicle in the spring!
- This year the Ministry of Defence is preparing a big surprise. In the spring we will promote a new product - unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured in our Military Technical Institute! I am sure that this product will upgrade the reputation of our defence system in the world even more.
On 18th January, the Montenegrin Minister of Defence Boro Vucinic is coming to visit Serbia, which will end the negotiations concerning the six planes type "Galeb" that the Serbian Armed Forces will receive, and the flight simulator which we received from the Government of Montenegro will be put into operation.
The reformers have never been popular
Does it bother you that you are not on the lists with the most popular politicians?
- A politician who thinks that popularity brings support is wrong. The greatest politician to me, about whom I have been extensively reading since recently, and who was also the military leader, was Kemal Pasha Ataturk. If the research had been done at the time when he modernized Turkey, he would have been the least popular politician in the world! Converting Turkey into a secular state, changing the letters into the European ones, all these were the things that would have never had the support of the majority. Do you know that out of the 15 statesmen who were assassinated in Europe, six are from Serbia! Starting from Karadjordje to Zoran Djindjic, and all were reformers. I am glad that the Armed Forces is advancing and that it gained the greatest confidence of the people. As long as it is so, and I will remind you that everybody agrees that the Armed Forces has re-gained the position which belongs to it, I am not worried about my personal popularity.
Ponoš is out of my sphere of interests
- All I had to say about General Zdravko Ponoš I said a year ago at the session of the National Security Council. What is the most important to me is that there were two inspections in the Ministry, one of them being executed upon my invitation: the budgetary inspection from the Ministry of Finance and the government audit, which proved that the charges then presented were not proven. What will happen to him after the retirement is out of my sphere of interests. If anyone of my colleagues thinks that he can help him, let him do it. I did not appoint him the Chief of General Staff, nor have I dismissed him.
About the Serbian Progressive Party: It is very good that you can hear in Serbia today my opponent Aleksandar Vucic saying that Serbia must have the best relations with the USA and that there should not be meetings organised when Ratko Mladic’s arrest occurs.
On Šešelj’s return: It will be interesting when Vojislav Šešelj returns to Serbia. I expect that we will finally hear the truth about the past of the Serbian Radical Party, but also a lot about the Serbian Progressive Party. Of course, I will watch TV debates between Tomislav Nikolic and Vojislav Šešelj, as “the moment of truth”.
About Cedomir Jovanovic: The policy advocated by the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party ?edomir Jovanovic actually the policy that is the closest to what is promoted in Serbia by the non-governmental sector. I think that something like that should exist in Serbia. It does not represent a threat to the Democratic Party.
Meeting with Robert Gates
- I will remember the meeting with the State Secretary of Defense Robert Gates for several things: a surprising protocol, the police motor escort, which has been the privilege of a small number of guests in the United States, the Serbian flag in front of the Pentagon. But what was the most interesting thing was that Robert Gates told us that he talked to his associates in, as he says, Serbo-Croat, which he learned as early as in the 1970’s.
Taking photograph with Silvio Berlusconi
- When we entered the hall where it was marked who will stand where before the official photograph taking with the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, I looked for my name and saw it immediately behind the Prime Minister. I suggested to the protocol that it would not be good and it turned to be right. But after taking the photograph, Berlusconi told me in the end: "Sorry for that, Mr. Minister," and he admitted that my rearranging was just a joke. That was witty, we all laughed, and nobody was offended. I think that Berlusconi is a man who is very skilled in manipulating the public and the media.
