Ministry of defence Republic of Serbia
 
01.07.2010.

Interview of Minister Sutanovac to "Vreme"



If Serbia embarks on this project of constructing MMA in Libya as planned, the need for a new shelf where Minister Sutanovac could store watches with the picture of Moamer el Gaddafi will arise. Namely, it is a tradition of the Libyan leader to give watches, one male and another female watch with the picture of the Leader of the Revolution, and currently there are two such gifts in the cabinet of the Minister of Defense. This will be a small expense in comparison to the gains of the Agreement of the Military Technical Cooperation signed recently by Minister Sutanovac and the Libyan minister of defense and chief commander, Major General Abu Bakr Yunis Jaber. In an interview to VREME weekly, Sutanovac explains what this contract is about:

“Let me remind you that former Yugoslavia has had a rather long tradition of good relations with Libya, but this was the first such visit in the last 25 years based on the agreement reached between President Gaddafi and President Tadic. We have had good military technical cooperation but have not had such a document which is an umbrella agreement opening many options for future cooperation, not only in the field of defense industry but in construction industry too, as well as military education, building a new MMA and many other things. It is my deep belief that we will have some very serious business arrangements in Libya in the near future, and what is strategically even more important is that many Libyan officers and cadets will come to Serbia to continue their education.

There have been such estimates saying that the Government will profit from this job more than from any other job.


This is not one job, but many jobs, with a whole range of possibilities for construction. If we start building this field hospital, it will be a strategic job, to build a hospital, and establish a system our experts would maintain. This is why we can not have an exact estimate of how much these works will cost and their possible value., because it will last intermittently.

We have had the same talks in the Algeria, Kuwait, and Libya, as well as with Turkey and Egypt. These countries have shown great interest. We want to open room for a far more extensive and better cooperation entailing joint participation in investments, development, and production, as well as to emerge on third markets…Our defense industry in 1999 was completely destroyed, yet today we are the largest weapons exporters from Ankara to Vienna, in the whole SEE region, with the demand exceeding our production capacities, in factories working in three shifts.

This means that these factories need new investments.


Yes, as these factories have not yet been revitalized completely. The tragic legacy of the nineties still burdens them with such problems as regulating certain relations with the state, paying social and health care insurance for the workers etc. These factories are the only ones with a rise in GDP and a reduction of the foreign trade deficit. We are holding talks within the ministry as to how to help the factories to expand their capacities and produce the goods they need.To be more precise, Sloboda Cacak had a 4million USD worth of contract back in 2007, while by July this year it signed 52 million USD worth contracts.

Privatization is out of option?


Defense industry is not just a part of the industry, it is a factor of security, stability and the defense of one country. A number of countries has privatized its defense industries and they are almost non-existent. It is my opinion that Serbia should open all possibilities for foreign investors who want to invest in the Serbian defense industry, and on the other hand we are striving to keep these factories from becoming privatized, that is, we want them to be owned in majority by the state. Any other way would mean endangering the defense system of our country at one point, and we must not allow that.

You mentioned mostly Arabic markets.


Today, Serbia is selling weapons from Malaysia to Canada and the USA. Prvi partisan Uzice is one of the world’s best known arms factories, with all its production being exported abroad, mostly is being exported to the American market (sports and hunting ammunition). We are even trying to make an entrance into the NATO market that is into the NATO Code and to make an appearance in NATO catalogs. When you appear in the NATO code, then all sales are safe, as it means that we have adhered to the NATO standards. We have an order from the USA, and if it gets verified, and we hope it will, we will finally have one factory as independently codified within the NATO standard. "Prvi partizan" has already done that, but not using an intermediary.

You mentioned NATO, and you said before than no one has ever done a proper study on the effects of potential NATO membership. Who should do the study?


It should be done by the avant-garde part of the society, the NGO sector and institutes. We are working today in MoD within the rules prescribed by the Parliament, but this does not keep me from saying that it would be much easier for Serbia if it entered security and defense integrations. The fact remains that all countries which have joined the NATO have prospered financially, but this membership also comes with obligations. We have to choose which system of values we want to follow. There is a rather schizophrenic situation, where the citizens want to be close to one country, have the living standard of another country, the defense system similar to a third country, educational system from the fourth and so on. I am afraid it does not work that way, and that all those who think we can have the standard of the western countries, and be organized like an eastern country, do not understand that this is impossible. Russian embassies send warning signals regarding the statements made by our politicians about possible NATO membership. Personally, I monitor closely the relations of two friendly countries, Russia and Belarus, regarding the gas situation. I see that such issues need to be solved in a very serious way even though these two countries have a much deeper tradition, and reliance on one another. This is the only way to get the big picture of what is really going on in the world today, as Ambassador Konuzin as said, since it does not mean that brotherhood is always in the best interest of both sides. This is an eye opener in the political sense, sending signals how we should treat our issues.

You stated that the defense cooperation between Serbia and Russia was not at a satisfactory level and that it should be improved. Are we making any progress in that direction?

I am still of the opinion that the defense cooperation with Russia is not as good as the political cooperation such as is the case with Norway, Arabic countries, Portugal, the USA. However, we are expecting a visit of General Makarov in October, who will be holding talks with SAF CHOD LTG Miletic thus opening, as I hope, a new era of relations. WE want to establish good and friendly relations with those countries which regard Serbia as their partner so there is no good reason why we should not continue cooperation with the Russian Federation. What is more, we had a chance to see the Russian army cooperating with the NATO forces during the Victory Day parade on 9 May, where for the first time in history the NATO flag was hoisted in the Red Square, which act was hailed by the people present there.

Recently we signed a contract with Croatia regarding military cooperation, which was hailed y “Jutarnji list” daily as the final stop to the war in these areas.

I am not sure that armies were guilty of the war, as I believe that alongside with the civilians they are the biggest victims. This agreement with Croatia means that we will cooperate with them as with other 17 countries we have signed agreements with, and of course, it should be taken as a signal of a final end to debilitating relations between Croatia and Serbia, leaving all those bad times behind us. The way our delegation was received in Croatia, the attitude and comportment of officers who have recognized themselves from school days in former Yugoslavia tells me we have good possibility for good cooperation. I am certain that we will be cooperating even more, and that it will be much easier for them to cooperate and reach an understanding than with other countries.

Is the professionalization of the army possible given the crisis?

The crisis dramatically places at risk the process of professionalization.
Professionalization is not just a reform of armed forces, it is a reform of the society and probably the only irreversible reform in our society. The interest rate in the army is fascinating at this moment today. There is a paradox that the minister of defense even the President of the Republic are getting the letters of young people wishing to join the army. We had a 99% percentage of those interested in the military professional, which proves that the army is restoring its status. The army is not just an element of stability and defense, it is rather one of the strongest diplomatic attributes of any country in the world, and of our country’s as well.

Are people interested to join the professional army?

We had some 13000 applicants for 4000 positions where 13 % were female. Someone will say that the young have no alternative. The young did not have an alternative in late 90s or in the early 2000s so this is why they did not apply for the military profession. If I tell you that 21 candidate applied for the Military Academy, while this year we have had 1259 candidates, then a secure job is not the only reason. For the first time in many years we will have a number of ethnic minorities enrolling the academy, Roma, Bosnian and Goranac and even a youth of Syrian-Kuwaiti descent. We will cherish multiethnicity in the academy as I believe that this is a high quality.

New quality and a religious service

After 70 years, based on the new law on the army, we will finally introduce a religious service into the army. It is a long tradition of the Serbian army, and also a legacy of modern armies in the world with chaplains within their units. This service has never been canceled. There is a need that the army should have spiritual guide who can help solve moral, religious and spiritual issues of a soldier. We will have NCOs of various denominations and religions-of Christian, both Catholic and Orthodox, Muslim and Jewish. I believe that this will add to stabilization and even better spirit of the army.

The area of “4 July” barracks will be a construction site, where apartments will be built. How many of these apartments will be allocated to the army?

This is the first contract which will enable the army to get over 20 % of the apartments where it uses its grounds. Previously we got 12-13 %, so there will be 55000 square meters of residential area in the areas of “4 July” barracks but we will get apartments all over Serbia. The property value in the whole Serbia is not the same value as in Belgrade, nor can we contract a construction company to build condos which they cannot sell. That is one of the reasons why we are trying to solve housing issues. The other way is by giving subsidized loans to professional military men while the third way is to give special grant loans to pensioners. We hope to solve 1000 cases during this year, and if we know that we will get a fresh infusion of 350 new men which means that in one year alone we will solve the problems of practically all those who will come in the next three years.

What will be with the Military Clubs all over Serbia?

Majority of military houses are unaffordable and we offer them in the market. We are negotiating with local self-governments, which we have done in Sabac, and are currently doing so in Valjevo, Prokuplje,, Leskovac and Kragujevac.

What is the destiny of the SAF GS?

It is the “family heirloom” of the Ministry of Defense. It is our wish not to sell the building especially now that the real estate have reached the all time low in the last several decades. We believe that the most appropriate arrangement would be, if we were to offer someone to build a building in the lot where the old and run down army HQ building is located. This will enable us with a new and modern building without investing from the budget. We relocated all our premises to a better location. There is no logic why we should keep the army HQ in the downtown, as it is something that exists nowhere in the world.

The democratic party is facing primaries. Bojan Pajitc has already announced his candidacy for Vice president, what about you?

If municipal councils candidate me, I will take candidacy. A responsible politician in power has to account for everything he has done during his term in office. Now we can practically compete and see who has done what and who has lived up the party’s expectations. Personally, the Vice President function is the dearest to my heart. The Government has 25 members, with only one DS Vice President as the member of the Government.

Vera Didanovic
 
MOD
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