24.01.2022.
Minister Stefanović Meets Secretary of State for Defence Wallace in London
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, PhD who is currently paying an official visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland met British Secretary of State for Defence Rt Hon Ben Wallace, MP earlier today in London.
Minister Stefanović was welcomed by the British Guard of Honour which was followed by the meeting of the delegations of the two ministries.The two ministers discussed the defence cooperation between the two countries and possibilities of its further advancement. Reminding that Wallace is the first Secretary of State of the United Kingdom to have ever visited Serbia, and that Minister Stefanović was at that moment paying a return visit, they agreed that the talks held at the strategic level, conducted against the backdrop of difficult circumstances caused by COVID-19 pandemic, represented the crown of the hitherto comprehensive defence cooperation and that they were important for further qualitative intensification of the overall bilateral relations.
Minister Stefanović conveyed the orientation of the Republic of Serbia towards strengthening our defence relations through joint efforts of the two countries in the mutual interest, modelled after the alliance of our predecessors during the two world wars.Minister Stefanović thanked the British side on the donation delivered to the Ministry of Defence of Republic of Serbia to fight COVID-19 pandemic, whose significance was reflected precisely in the fact that the assistance had come in the right moment, at the beginning of the pandemic, and he also underlined that we highly appreciated the recent donation of skiing equipment intended for the members of the Military Academy of the University of Defence which represented the continuation of the winter training successfully conducted by British instructors.
He particularly singled out our joint engagement in the multinational operation UNFYCIP in Cyprus that crowned our hitherto military cooperation where respective Serbian Armed Forces and UK Armed Forces personnel had been jointly participating in an operation under arms for the first time since the end of the II World War. Recognising the commitment of both sides, he pointed to the significance of conducting joint exercises in the course of the current year as a substantial step forward in the cooperation.
In addition to the continuation of educating personnel of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces in the United Kingdom, Minister Stefanović emphasised our side’s interest in further development of military-to-military, military medical, and of military economic cooperation as well, which is of great importance for the Republic of Serbia, having in mind that the United Kingdom is a significant technological and military power in the world.Minister Wallace thanked Minister Stefanović on the return visit to the United Kingdom, emphasising that it was precisely those kind of talks that contributed to arriving at modalities of cooperation that were of mutual interest.
He noted that the Arrangement between the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Serbia and the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom on the enhancement of cooperation in the field of defence, that had been signed during his visit to Belgrade in June the previous year, was yet another proof of mutual readiness and orientation towards development and concretisation of the bilateral military cooperation.Evaluating the military-to-military cooperation as very good, Minister Wallace expressed his readiness for the increase of joint participation of members of British and Serbian armed forces in United Nations’ missions, and for the development of cooperation between our defence industries. Wallace pointed out that the United Kingdom considers Serbia to be a part of the European family, which is why, as he stated, we will continue strengthening the Serbian economy together.
