Vulin: Serbian Army was being systematically destroyed

Vulin: Serbian Army was being systematically destroyed

"From 2000 until 2012, we had defense ministers, supreme commanders, who spoke about the army as something that we do not need, a surplus. They said we were surrounded by friends, that Serbia had no enemies, no secrets before our friends, and that's why we downsized the army, that's why we didn't buy any new (weapons) systems for decades," he said.

More than 500 tanks and howitzers were melted down, he told TV Pink, adding that "who knows how many weapons" had been sold at the same time, including "personal arms, Arrows (missile systems), PVO (air defense) systems."

"Everything that we were able to destroy and sell by 2012, we did very efficiently. In the Balkans, which is such as it is, they had the courage to say that they will never fight again, that Serbia has no enemies - and there's Switzerland and Sweden for you that are neutral, yet have compulsory military service and strong armies," says Vulin.

After 2012, the minister emphasized, "we began to work to improve the situation in the army, to renew it, because Serbia needs a strong army."

"No country can hope for long-lasting and stable peace, unless it has a serious army. If you are strong enough, then you are respect, if you are not, then you are the object of everyone's aspirations," the minister said.

Vulin, who recently traveled to Moscow, recalled that the Russian Federation Armed Forces approved a USD 2 million donation to the Serbian Ministry of Defense, to be used to train our pilots flying MiG-29s - at no cost to the budget of Serbia, which represents "continued military-technical cooperation" between Serbia and Russia -"and indeed, said Vulin, "one can be satisfied because of that."