02.03.2016.
Chairman of the NATO Military Committee visits Serbia
Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff General Ljubisa Dikovic met today in Belgrade with the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Czech General Petr Pavel.On that occasion, General Dikovic pointed out that the Republic of Serbia is a militarily neutral country, and that the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, as the main responsible structure for the security system of the state, follow the policy of military neutrality in a professional and disciplined manner.
- Neutrality does not mean closure. On the contrary! It means working with all. We consider equally important regional cooperation with all the countries in the neighbourhood, cooperation with the Russian Federation and NATO, the Chief of General Staff said, adding that the basis of cooperation with NATO is the "Partnership for Peace" programme, through which the Serbian Armed Forces strengthens its own defence capabilities and with partner countries participates in building peace in the world.
As key topics for the upcoming talks with General Pavel, General Dikovic mentioned the security situation in the region and the world, cooperation with KFOR and further cooperation through the "Partnership for Peace" programme.
According to General Pavel, relations between Serbia and NATO have constantly evolved for the better over the last ten years, building through cooperation and dialogue a reliable partnership, which is best reflected in the signing of the Individual Partnership Action Plan.
He said that the cooperation is visible in the fight against terrorism, cyber defence, democratic control of the armed forces, civil emergency planning, protection of classified information, and reminded that NATO launched a Trust Fund with Serbia, which is focused on the disposal of surplus ammunition in Kragujevac.General Pavel commended the Serbian Armed Forces for its contribution to peacekeeping operations, particularly in the field of medical care, stressing that NATO highly appreciates the participation of our country in maintaining global security. He said that a stable and prosperous Western Balkans is in the common interest, and that is why NATO strongly supports the process of Serbia's integration into the European Union.
- NATO fully respects the Serbian policy of military neutrality, he said, pointing out that this is clearly visible in all areas of cooperation between Serbia and NATO, adding that NATO has a good cooperation with Sweden, Switzerland and Austria, countries that are also militarily neutral.
During the visit, the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee will meet with Defence Minister Zoran Djordjevic, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Assembly.
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