05.11.2024.
Minister Gašić meets Minister Dendias
Minister of Defence Bratislav Gašić has met today with the Minister of National Defence of the Hellenic Republic Nikolaos Dendias, at the "Banjica 2" barracks in Belgrade.
After playing the national anthems and a ceremonial welcome in front of the lineup of the Guard of the Serbian Armed Forces, the two delegations had a meeting to discuss the political and security situation in the region and cooperation in the field of defence.
Minister Gašić thanked Minister Dendias for his visit to the Republic of Serbia and the very constructive and friendly talks.
- Your visit today, which is also the first visit to one of the countries of the region since assuming the post of minister of national defence, as well as the recent visit of Prime Minister Mitsotakis during which he met with President Vučić, are confirmation that the bilateral cooperation between Serbia and Greece is at an enviable level and that the relations between our two peoples are fraternal. The traditionally good and substantive relations between Serbia and Greece represent a quality basis for the development not only of cooperation in the field of defence, but also of overall bilateral cooperation, which has lasted for 145 years since the establishment of the diplomatic relations – Minister Gašić said.
According to him, the historical closeness and strong friendship of our peoples and states have always been confirmed when it mattered most, in difficult circumstances and challenges without flinching.
- Our friendship was built in difficult times, in joint endeavours and always in the fight for justice and the right goal, and when a relationship is based on true values, it becomes unbreakable. We are grateful to brotherly Greece for its support to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our country. The non-recognition of the so-called Kosovo by Greece is a friendly stance towards Serbia, and at the same time an indicator of the consistency of official Athens in respecting the sovereignty of other states. During today’s talks, we informed the Greek side of a series of unilateral moves by the provisional institutions of self-government in Pristina, accompanied by an increase in the number of ethnically motivated incidents targeting the Serb population. We express enormous concern because such actions, which go unpunished by international institutions, are a threat to a continuation of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, annul all discussions and reached agreements and make the dialogue process absurd, in spite of Serbia’s commitment and interest in continuing it - Minister Gašić emphasized.
As he pointed out, we also owe great gratitude to Greece for its support on our European path.
- I will also note that the citizens of Greece can always count on help from Serbia in crisis situations, as we have demonstrated on several occasions this year, too. Full EU membership represents a foreign policy priority and a strategic commitment of Serbia and, for the Ministry of Defence, that strategic commitment is being carried out, above all, through participation in an EU battle group under the auspices of the Hellenic Armed Forces. It is important to note that members of the Serbian Armed Forces are preparing for the participation in the Battle Group at the training centre in Kilkis, Greece – the Serbian Minister of Defence said.
Speaking about cooperation in the field of defence, Minister Gašić emphasized that he and his Greek counterpart agreed that the cooperation was very good, with the possibility and mutual desire to further enhance it, primarily through strengthening military-to-military, military-educational, military-technical and military-medical cooperation.
- Regarding military-economic and military-technical cooperation, I believe that there is potential for enhancing the cooperation in these areas as well, taking into account the capacities of the defence industry of our two countries. Therefore, I am particularly pleased that you will have the opportunity to visit the Military Technical Institute and get acquainted with some of the projects of our defence industry. I am confident that the results of today’s meeting will contribute to the development of cooperation in the field of defence to our mutual benefit, because it is our determination to continue to foster and improve close relations with Greece, as an important partner, in all areas of mutual interest, and high-level meetings represent a stable basis for enhancing the cooperation - Minister Gašić concluded.
In his address, Minister Dendias first expressed his deepest condolences on the tragic events in Novi Sad. He then thanked for the great support that Serbia provided to Greece during the major fires in that country. Speaking about today’s meeting, Minister Dendias said that it was an opportunity to discuss many issues related to the security of the entire region, but also our bilateral relations.
- Those are our relations that also carry strategic weight under an agreement we have signed, and we also discussed the need to advance our cooperation and the fact that we can benefit from experience-sharing – the Greek Minister of Defence said expressing his satisfaction that he would visit the Military Technical Institute.
He emphasized that today’s meeting addressed the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and reiterated Prime Minister Mitsotakis’ words that Greece’s position on the so-called Kosovo remains firm.
- Only progress in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue can bring prosperity and stability to this region. Greece is part of the KFOR mission and we are ready to make every effort to preserve stability in the region. I would also like to remind you of Greece’s position on the Western Balkans - Greece advocates for long-term peace, stability and security through good neighbourly relations, respect for international law and the principle of the rule of law - Minister Dendias said, emphasizing that Greece believes that all Western Balkan countries should become members of the European Union, that it supports Serbia’s decision to be on that European path, and congratulated Serbia on the progress it has made.
Serbia and Spain committed to security of peacekeeping forces in Lebanon
As part of his official visit to the Kingdom of Spain, the Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, General Milan Mojsilović, together with the Chief of the Defence Staff of that country, Admiral Teodoro López Calderón, has visited today the Joint Operations Command of the Spanish Armed Forces.
During the visit to this command at the Retamarez base, General Mojsilović and Admiral Calderón spoke via video conference with the commander of the Spanish contingent and the Sector East in the United Nations peacekeeping operation in Lebanon — where majority of the Serbian peacekeeping contingent is deployed — and with the Serbian Armed Forces senior national representative in this operation.
On that occasion, the Spanish and Serbian officers reported that they had excellent cooperation in the field, that they behaved as one family in very difficult conditions and that they were committed to performing the tasks assigned to them.
General Mojsilović asked the most responsible officers in the Serbian and Spanish contingents to do everything to protect the deployed members of the peacekeeping forces, and from the members of the Serbian Armed Forces to carry out their tasks professionally, responsibly and with dignity, in accordance with the uniform they wear.
The Chief of the General Staff then visited the Getafe Air Base, where he was presented with the capabilities and capacities of the 35th Wing, as well as aircraft maintenance and training for air transport operations.
Assessing the visit to the Kingdom of Spain as very successful, the Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff expressed his belief that it would give a new incentive to the improvement of the already developed and substantial military-military cooperation in all areas of mutual interest and that it would strengthen the bond between our countries and peoples.
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