Opposition party announces anti-NATO rally

The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) has called on the citizens to gather in front of the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade on Sunday for a protest rally. It would come a day ahead of a military conference in Belgrade, organized by NATO. Opposition party announces anti-NATO rally The opposition party's Vice President Milos Jovanovic told reporters on Wednesday that the authorities in Serbia were doing everything to hide the fact NATO was the organizer of the conference. The western military alliance waged a war against Serbia in 1999, launching a bombing campaign that lasted 78 days. Now Jovanovic says that his party "on several occasions condemned the gathering", the goal of which, he asserted, was "to bring Serbia closer to NATO". The event represents huge humiliation for the country, he stated. Speaking during an extraordinary news conference at the party headquarters, Jovanovic claimed that there was no doubt that the Ministry of Defense was working actively on making Serbia a NATO member - an effort which that alliance "recognizes and welcomes". But Jovanovic said no person in Serbia was able to forget what NATO did, "from 1994 until 1999". "Another problem are the items on the gathering's agenda. A debate has been announced on NATO's strategic transformation, which means that they will work on a document adopted in Lisbon in the fall of last year, where NATO brags about its participation in setting up the Kosovo Security Force, and supports the territorial integrity of Moldavia and Georgia - but not of Serbia," continued Jovanovic. A day ahead of the protest rally, DSS will also organize a forum entitled, "The Kumanovo Agreement and relations between Serbia and NATO in its wake". Last week, the Ministry of Defense confirmed that the conference would be taking place in Belgrade June 13-15, but stressed that beside NATO, representatives of Russia, Brazil, Japan and other countries would also be taking part. The annual conference is held in order for military chiefs of NATO and partner countries to "exchange experiences", said the ministry. The DSS official, however, was unimpressed with this explanation, telling reporters today that despite the fact that other countries would be taking part, the conference would take place "under NATO's flag, and in the middle of Belgrade". "Serbia is a militarily neutral country and the only way to change that is in a referendum," Jovanovic concluded.

Opposition party announces anti-NATO rally

The opposition party's Vice President Miloš Jovanović told reporters on Wednesday that the authorities in Serbia were doing everything to hide the fact NATO was the organizer of the conference.

The western military alliance waged a war against Serbia in 1999, launching a bombing campaign that lasted 78 days.

Now Jovanović says that his party "on several occasions condemned the gathering", the goal of which, he asserted, was "to bring Serbia closer to NATO".

The event represents huge humiliation for the country, he stated.

Speaking during an extraordinary news conference at the party headquarters, Jovanović claimed that there was no doubt that the Ministry of Defense was working actively on making Serbia a NATO member - an effort which that alliance "recognizes and welcomes".

But Jovanović said no person in Serbia was able to forget what NATO did, "from 1994 until 1999".

"Another problem are the items on the gathering's agenda. A debate has been announced on NATO's strategic transformation, which means that they will work on a document adopted in Lisbon in the fall of last year, where NATO brags about its participation in setting up the Kosovo Security Force, and supports the territorial integrity of Moldavia and Georgia - but not of Serbia," continued Jovanović.

A day ahead of the protest rally, DSS will also organize a forum entitled, "The Kumanovo Agreement and relations between Serbia and NATO in its wake".

Last week, the Ministry of Defense confirmed that the conference would be taking place in Belgrade June 13-15, but stressed that beside NATO, representatives of Russia, Brazil, Japan and other countries would also be taking part.

The annual conference is held in order for military chiefs of NATO and partner countries to "exchange experiences", said the ministry.

The DSS official, however, was unimpressed with this explanation, telling reporters today that despite the fact that other countries would be taking part, the conference would take place "under NATO's flag, and in the middle of Belgrade".

"Serbia is a militarily neutral country and the only way to change that is in a referendum," Jovanović concluded.