26.04.2017.
Defence Minister at Moscow Conference
The 6th Conference on International Security has been opened today. The Serbian delegation is led by the Defence Minister Zoran Djordjevic, who greeted participants of the Conference on behalf of the Prime Minister and the future President of the Republic Aleksandar Vucic.
In his address in the language of the host, Mr. Djordjevic confirmed the comprehensive commitment of the Republic of Serbia to the regional and global cooperation in the sphere of defence and security, bearing in mind that the international position of Serbia has significantly improved in recent years. Thus, Serbia is the key factor in the region for keeping peace and stability, primarily in combat against the global terrorism, which has become the main world security challenge and risk, Minister Djordjevic said.
“Serbia is successful in solving consequences of the migrant crisis, preventing potential threats including terrorism. Therefore, I am especially proud of the excellent cooperation within the Joint Force of the Ministry of the Interior and the Serbian Armed Forces, which in a human and professional manner strive to mitigate the consequences of the migrant crisis”, the Defence Minister emphasized.
Serbia is the responsible, reliable and predictable partner, which, as the EU candidate, would like to share responsibility with European partners and develop cooperation with all factors of international security and thus contribute to the global security, he stressed. Therefore, respecting the foreign policy priorities, the Ministry of Defence will endeavour to additionally strengthen cooperation with all strategic partners in the following period, especially in the sphere of conducting joint exercises.
Serbia is firmly committed to the policy of military neutrality, protecting and promoting its national interests, Mr. Djordjevic emphasized. We have intensive relations with the Russian Federation including military and security cooperation, he said. The support of the countries, which have not recognized a unilateral declaration of independence of so-called Kosovo is of vital importance in protecting our national interests. Besides the migrant crisis, Kosovo and Metohija is still the greatest security challenge for our country.
Strengthening its economy and perspectives of its citizens, Serbia continues its policy of the regional cooperation, Mr. Djordjevic stressed and highlighted that we would never recognize a unilateral declaration of independence of so-called Kosovo, and the way to the permanent and sustainable solution is possible only through negotiations in accordance with the international law.
He warned about the process of intensive global divergence instead of global rapprochement and stressed the need today, more than ever, to unite the world in combat against terrorism.
The 6th Moscow Conference began by the address of the Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, and the topic of the Conference this year is “Global Security: The 21st Century Challenges”. More than 750 guests participate in the work of the Conference, including the defence ministers and delegations, military experts and representatives of the academia from 86 countries, as well as management of the international organizations, the UN, the OSCE, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
