15.01.2024.
State Secretary Starović at Conference “Military Neutrality Concept and Serbia-NATO Relations”
Today, a delegation of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Serbia, led by State Secretary Nemanja Starović, participated in a conference titled “Military neutrality concept and Serbia-NATO relations” held in the Media Centre in Belgrade.
The conference was organised at the initiative of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria, in line with the responsibilities discharged by that Embassy as the NATO Contact Embassy in Serbia.
On that occasion, State Secretary Starović pointed out that the military neutrality of Serbia is based on the Resolution on the protection of sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitutional order of the Republic of Serbia, passed by the National Assembly, and on the Defence Strategy of the Republic of Serbia. Starović stressed that the commitment to military neutrality is a political decision that expresses the position that the country is not interested in joining the existing military alliances, but that it will pursue its foreign policy, as well as its policy in the sphere of security and defence, independently, striving, in accordance with its capabilities, to contribute to peace, resolving all disputes by political means and agreement without the use of force, building confidence, stability and security, both in the region and world.
State Secretary Starović said that “although the Republic of Serbia is a militarily neutral state, it endeavours to create and advance partner relations in the field of security and defence with the countries worldwide as well as with international organisations, whereat it is actively engaged in joint activities in the framework of the United Nations, OSCE, European Union and NATO”. He added that as a United Nations member state, Serbia participates in peace building activities in the world under the mandate of this international organisation.
According to the State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, the existing mechanisms of cooperation between the of Serbia and NATO, through the Partnership for Peace Programme, have proved to be highly functional, successful and useful for both sides. In that respect, Starović stated that the participation of Serbia in the Partnership for Peace Programme represents optimal measure of cooperation with NATO.
State Secretary Starović concluded by saying that the militarily neutral Serbia will continue pursuing the principled and consistent policy founded on respect for international law, non-interference in internal issues of sovereign states, advocating for peaceful resolution of all disputes, and the protection of its independence and sovereignty through all available legal and other means.
