06.07.2017.
Steel friendship between Serbia and China
Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin met today with the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China, Li Manchang. The Chinese ambassador conveyed to Minister Vulin the greetings and personal congratulations of the Chinese Minister of National Defence, General Chang Wanquan, on his appointment as Minister of Defence.
Vulin and Manchang assessed that the overall cooperation between the two countries is an excellent example in international relations, as it is based on building strong ties in accordance with their own interests, but with the highest degree of mutual consideration and respect.The Minister of Defence said that Serbia provides firm support to the One-China policy and thanked for the principled position of China regarding the preservation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija. He asked the Chinese ambassador for China to support in the United Nations Serbia's position not to downsize the number of KFOR soldiers in Kosovo and invited the Chinese National Defence Minister and the Chief of General Staff of the Chinese NLA to visit Serbia.
Traditional friendship, understanding and support are the foundation of relations between Serbia and China, which is why both countries are genuinely committed to strengthening cooperation at all levels, the interlocutors agreed. When it comes to the area of defence, Vulin and Manchang emphasized that military-economic and military-technical cooperation are key segments in which it will be possible to build special ties both between the two ministries, and between the Chinese and domestic companies and scientific institutions."We are firmly committed to strengthening of our cooperation with China, in the spirit of clearly defined strategic guidelines set during the meeting of the President of the Republic, Aleksandar Vučić, with the President and Prime Minister of China, Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang, respectively. As defence minister, I will try, as I did before, in the spirit of dedication and professionalism, to do everything to build mutually beneficial partnership relations in the field of defence", Minister Vulin said.
He thanked the Chinese ambassador for the donation of boats, engines and other equipment that have been recently handed over to the Serbian Armed Forces, as well as for the help that China had been sending to our army over the past years, and whose value amounts to four million and nine hundred and fifty million euros."China has once again shown its great friendship, and using the grant in the best possible way will promote the cooperation of the two militaries and the states, and confirm the commitment to further development of the relations", the Minister of Defence said.
The Ambassador of China emphasized the importance of the high degree of understanding and mutual support for a number of issues of vital interest to Serbia and China. Manchang stressed that China is truly committed to deepening defence relations and that a confirmation of this intention are visits of several Chinese companies to the Serbian Ministry of Defence in the previous period, as well as the continuous meetings of state leaders of the two countries at the highest level. He confirmed that as the Ambassador of China he will continue to work devotedly on strengthening the ties between the two countries and the militaries.
