SPO leader pushes for NATO membership

National and state interests require Serbia’s NATO integration, says Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) leader and former Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic. Speaking at a conference titled “Serbia—A Country with Strong Allies or Neutral,” Draskovic called on the declaration on military neutrality to be repealed as soon as possible. SPO leader pushes for NATO membership The Democratic Party of Serbia’s (DSS) initiative to call a referendum on joining NATO was nothing but political point-scoring, he said. “NATO membership is a sure ticket into the European Union,” Draskovic said. He said that he believed that NATO membership would enable Serbia to achieve a presence in Kosovo, claiming that membership would not sour relations with Russia. Draskovic said that military neutrality was realistically unfeasible, and would not bring anything beneficial to Serbia. “Military neutrality, if it was possible, would close down our military industry, and would be very expensive, it would tie our hands. Military neutrality, which is now Serbia’s official policy guarantees only one thing—that, in the event of a new war, we will be alone and no one will be on our side,” he said. The SPO leader called for the neutrality declaration to be repealed, stating that Serbia needed to return to “the policies inaugurated during the time of Zoran Djindjic, the policies of Euro-Atlantic integration.” It was stated at the conference that a decision on NATO was not just a decision on membership of an organization, but on a country’s course and policies. It was stated that Serbia could also reap economic benefit from joining the Alliance, and that, in this time of economic crisis, NATO membership would be a factor for political stability. A number of speakers also stated that this was also an important factor for foreign investors, who valued stability and security higher than traditional economic indicators when looking to invest somewhere. Draskovic said he saw the DSS initiative to call a referendum on NATO membership, while at the same time opposing, as an act designed to manipulate people’s emotions. Zoran Dragisic of the International Institute for Stability echoed this view, stating that the issue of NATO integration was too important to be used for political point-scoring. “I think it’s unwise to use such an important issue as NATO membership to improve your rating. I think that your rating should be improved through other issues, and this is too important to be manipulated with daily political ends in mind,” Dragisic stressed. It was also stated that Serbia would lose nothing by joining NATO as far as sovereignty was concerned and that no decision could be made by NATO without Belgrade’s approval. This meant that Serbia would not have to participate in any operations that it believed could negatively impact on its interests. Vuk Draskovic (Beta)

SPO leader pushes for NATO membership

The Democratic Party of Serbia’s (DSS) initiative to call a referendum on joining NATO was nothing but political point-scoring, he said.

“NATO membership is a sure ticket into the European Union,” Drašković said. He said that he believed that NATO membership would enable Serbia to achieve a presence in Kosovo, claiming that membership would not sour relations with Russia.

Drašković said that military neutrality was realistically unfeasible, and would not bring anything beneficial to Serbia.

“Military neutrality, if it was possible, would close down our military industry, and would be very expensive, it would tie our hands. Military neutrality, which is now Serbia’s official policy guarantees only one thing—that, in the event of a new war, we will be alone and no one will be on our side,” he said.

The SPO leader called for the neutrality declaration to be repealed, stating that Serbia needed to return to “the policies inaugurated during the time of Zoran Đinđic, the policies of Euro-Atlantic integration.”

It was stated at the conference that a decision on NATO was not just a decision on membership of an organization, but on a country’s course and policies.

It was stated that Serbia could also reap economic benefit from joining the Alliance, and that, in this time of economic crisis, NATO membership would be a factor for political stability.

A number of speakers also stated that this was also an important factor for foreign investors, who valued stability and security higher than traditional economic indicators when looking to invest somewhere.

Drašković said he saw the DSS initiative to call a referendum on NATO membership, while at the same time opposing, as an act designed to manipulate people’s emotions.

Zoran Dragišić of the International Institute for Stability echoed this view, stating that the issue of NATO integration was too important to be used for political point-scoring.

“I think it’s unwise to use such an important issue as NATO membership to improve your rating. I think that your rating should be improved through other issues, and this is too important to be manipulated with daily political ends in mind,” Dragišić stressed.

It was also stated that Serbia would lose nothing by joining NATO as far as sovereignty was concerned and that no decision could be made by NATO without Belgrade’s approval.

This meant that Serbia would not have to participate in any operations that it believed could negatively impact on its interests.