11.10.2023.
Minister Vučević meets with Commander of JFC Naples Admiral Munsch
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Miloš Vučević today met with the Commander of NATO’s Joint Force Command Naples, Admiral Stuart Munsch, who is paying an official visit to the Republic of Serbia.
Minister Vučević welcomed Admiral Munsch, expressing joy at his visit, which is an opportunity for them to exchange information on the political and security situation in the region and the world, with an emphasis on the situation in the southern Serbian province and the cooperation between the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces and NATO.The Minister of Defence voiced his concern over the events and the position of Serbs living in northern Kosovo and Metohija and expressed his belief that the negotiations regarding the normalization of relations would continue. He stressed that for Serbia, the escalation of violence was absolutely unacceptable, and that our side was committed to the dialogue process, as the sole means of peacefully addressing all political and technical issues.
According to Minister Vučević, Serbia has never made, nor will it ever make, any moves that could threaten the peace or destabilize the situation on the ground. It is important that KFOR plays the key role in ensuring security in Kosovo and Metohija, he said and expressed his expectation that the mission will impartially and in accordance with its mandate, work to prevent Priština’s future unilateral actions that would worsen the security situation in the southern Serbian province.Minister Vučević made a specific reference to the ongoing campaign that Priština and certain media outlets in the world have been recently conducting against the Serbian Armed Forces, their strength and activities, i.e. their movement and deployment on the territory of our country, allegedly directed towards Kosovo and Metohija. He categorically and argumentatively rejected those allegations as inappropriate, unfounded, irresponsible and untrue. However, he indicated that the Serbian Armed Forces were ready to perform all their tasks efficiently, transparently, professionally and successfully, if necessary. According to him, Serbia will do everything in its power to prevent such a scenario from happening in the future, giving priority to dialogue and conditions for the preservation of peace.
In his conversation with Minister Vučević, Admiral Munsch confirmed NATO's commitment to peace and stability in the Western Balkans. In light of recent events, he added, NATO is continuously monitoring the situation and taking careful steps, and member states are sending additional troops so that KFOR has the strength, capability and flexibility to impartially carry out its tasks in accordance with the UN mandate, with the aim of maintaining a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for the people living in Kosovo and Metohija. Admiral Munsch also underscored NATO’s support for the EU-facilitated Belgrade-Priština dialogue, which was the only way to achieve lasting peace and stability for all communities.