28.02.2018.
Meeting of the Minister of Defence with the Ambassador of the Russian Federation
Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin met today the Ambassador of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Serbia Alexander Chepurin.
In a cordial and friendly discussion dedicated to the topics of further development of the military technical and military-to-military cooperation between the two brotherly countries, Minister Vulin expressed his satisfaction with his recent visit to Moscow and he particularly thanked for the principled support that the Russian Federation had been rendering to the efforts of the Republic of Serbia to resolve all open issues in Kosovo and Metohija in a peaceful manner and using political means and to protect its territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Pointing out that he was pleased with the achieved level of the military economic cooperation, the minister of defence stressed that equipping the Serbian Armed Forces with modern armaments was of strategic significance.
- We are grateful to the Russian side and Minister Shoygu in particular for the donation and granting free training for the pilots of the Serbian Armed Forces who will fly MiG-29 planes. We are also grateful to the Russian Federation for the assistance in the form of materiel, among which we especially highlight the donation of six MiG-29 planes and the Army assets – armoured vehicles and tanks T-72, whose realisation is due in the upcoming period, which will contribute to strengthening defence capabilities of the Serbian Armed Forces. It is very important for us to conduct under favourable economic conditions the modernisation and supplying the materiel which is necessary for a timely and adequate response to current security risks, challenges and threats – Minister Vulin stated.
The interlocutors agreed that the indicators of traditionally good relations between Serbian and Russian people were numerous, one of them being the recent visit from Minister Vulin to the celebration to mark the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Red Army and Defender of the Fatherland Day held in Moscow, and another one being the announcement that, at the invitation of the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation General of the Army Sergey Shoygu, the minister of defence of the Republic of Serbia will participate in the 7th Moscow conference in April this year.
