22.02.2023.
Meeting between State Secretary Starović and NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Operations Burcu San
State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence Nemanja Starović met today with the NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Operations Burcu San, who headed the NATO delegation, which attended a bilateral consultation with representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces on partnership goals within the Planning and Review Process.
Burcu San's visit to the Republic of Serbia was an opportunity to discuss the political and security situation in the region and the defence cooperation between Serbia and NATO.
State Secretary Starović said that military neutrality was Serbia's foreign policy priority and that it did not pose an obstacle for cooperation with NATO. In accordance with this approach, he said, our side makes maximum effort to maintain continued cooperation through all mechanisms under the Partnership for Peace Program.When it comes to the current situation in Kosovo and Metohija, State Secretary Starović stressed that Serbia was committed to dialogue as the best way to address all issues. He highlighted the importance of consistent adherence to UNSC Resolution 1244, the Military Technical Agreement and all contracts concluded thus far.
- Therefore, we expect KFOR to act in an impartial and status neutral way, which means that it should have an active role, particularly in preventing incidents and actions of any other armed formations on the territory of our southern province, said State Secretary Starović.
Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Operations Burcu San thanked State Secretary Starović for organizing the meeting, and stressed the importance of the Partnership for Peace Program, especially the part that aims to enhance the development of the Serbian Armed Forces and strengthen its interoperability.
With regard to the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, Burcu San said that KFOR was fully capable of continuing to implement its duty under UNSCR 1244 mandate, ensuring a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all communities.
