28.01.2021.
President Vučić: Our armed forces are a factor of stability, preservation of peace and deterrence
The presentation of results of the regular annual analysis of operational and functional capabilities of the Serbian Armed Forces in 2020 was held today at the Guard Club in Topčider.
The presentation was attended by the President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces Aleksandar Vučić, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, PhD, Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, General Milan Mojsilović and senior officers holding the most responsible positions in the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces.After the presentation, President Vučić pointed out that the Serbian Armed Forces had put in a lot of effort, energy and hard work the previous year, especially due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- This institution had one of the most important roles during the reception of our citizens from abroad, and that is why a large number of people got infected with the coronavirus during the first wave. In 2020, 16 members of our armed forces lost their lives, and in 2021, three more members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces died, 19 in total. I would like to take this opportunity to express my condolences to their families - said President Vučić.
He emphasized that, at the same time, a lot of work had been done on improving combat readiness and purchasing most modern weapons and equipment, from the "Pantsir S1" system to important unmanned aerial vehicles for the first time.
- This year, we will pay special attention to the so-called electronic warfare. We will certainly buy a much larger number of more powerful unmanned aerial vehicles, but we will also pay attention to radar systems and interference, both defensive and offensive forms of electronic warfare - President Vučić pointed out.According to him, shortcomings have been identified and that is why a large increase in salaries for soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers is planned this year. In addition to the five percent pay rise for all public sector employees, an additional 10 percent increase is expected, which means that their overall salary increase will be between 9.8 and 17.6 percent this year.
- We want to keep members of the Serbian Armed Forces in our ranks for as long as possible, but at the same time we want our armed forces to attract a much larger number of people - said President Vučić, adding that with the arrival of new investors and factories, incomes in Serbia were growing, and if the armed forces did not keep up with that trend, they would not be able to keep their personnel, which was one of the biggest problems. As President Vučić points out, all possible security threats to the Republic of Serbia, related to all geostrategic, military strategic and military tactical issues, have been analyzed, as well as our armed forces’ actions, battle groups and forces that we can deploy within 24 hours, as well as all reserves, from food to explosive ordnance.
- I am satisfied with the conditions that are far from ideal. I am satisfied with the work, commitment and morale, the fighting spirit of our people, the energy they show. We still have a lot of work to do in order to rectify the situation. Our armed forces are a factor of stability and preservation of peace and a deterrent to anyone who would like to attack our country - said President Vučić and added that we would continue to invest heavily in our defence system and our armed forces.- We have also started to look at the topic of mandatory military service; we will talk about this and open a public discussion in the coming years or months, before making any decisions. It has both advantages and disadvantages. One of the disadvantages is that we need more than eight billion dinars for facilities and the provision of food alone, plus about 1.2 billion dinars for soldiers’ salaries - the President of the Republic pointed out. The advantage is manning the garrison towns where no soldiers are stationed at the moment and bringing back life to smaller areas in Serbia.
- Regardless of that, we will manage to form new units in Priboj, Loznica, Bela Crkva, Negotin, Pirot and Surdulica, as early as this year. I am satisfied with the morale of the people, we can and must always do much better. I believe that before the end of the year I will be able to say that we are even more satisfied - said President Vučić and thanked the Minister of Defence, the Chief of the General Staff and everyone who is putting a great deal of effort so that "we can look at our armed forces with pride and say that they are getting much stronger every year."
