Serbia reconsidering participation in Georgia drill

A state secretary with the Ministry of Defense confirmed today that two military exercises will take place in Georgia within the Partnership for Peace program.

Izvor: Beta

Tuesday, 21.04.2009.

18:05

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A state secretary with the Ministry of Defense confirmed today that two military exercises will take place in Georgia within the Partnership for Peace program. Serbia previously planned to take part in the command-staff part of the drill, aimed at training troops to react in crisis situations, Dusan Spasojevic said. Serbia reconsidering participation in Georgia drill "There is a command-staff exercise, and a proper military exercise with participation of units. Both will take part continuously, practically one following the other," he told Beta news agency in Belgrade on Tuesday. Spasojevic reminded that a Serbian government decision dated Dec. 2008, adopted a proposal for an individual program of partnership between Serbia and the PfP for 2009 and 2010. "Within the framework of this program adopted by the government, Serbia planned to take part in the command-staff part of the exercise, with two officers. One is an expert in civilian-military relations, while the other is a telecommunications and IT expert," explained the state secretary. "Bearing in mind that the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry has called on NATO to abandon the drills in Georgia, explaining that they could not contribute to the stabilization of the situation in the Caucasus, we have decided to, within the government, conduct further consolations on the level of relevant ministries that decide on the foreign policy issues," said Spasojevic. According to him, no decision has been made yet to send Serbian Army (VS) members to Georgia in order to participate in the exercise. In the coming days, he continued, the Serbian government will make its decision, "that will be in the interest of the state". "Back when these activities were planned in mid-2008, there was no conflict in the Caucasus on the horizon. We could not have assumed that there would be an armed conflict between the Russian Federation and Georgia," he further explained. In parliament today, MPs from opposition New Serbia (NS) and Serb Radical Party (SRS) asked why Serbia planned to take part in the NATO drills in Georgia even though Russia has condemned them.

Serbia reconsidering participation in Georgia drill

"There is a command-staff exercise, and a proper military exercise with participation of units. Both will take part continuously, practically one following the other," he told Beta news agency in Belgrade on Tuesday.

Spasojević reminded that a Serbian government decision dated Dec. 2008, adopted a proposal for an individual program of partnership between Serbia and the PfP for 2009 and 2010.

"Within the framework of this program adopted by the government, Serbia planned to take part in the command-staff part of the exercise, with two officers. One is an expert in civilian-military relations, while the other is a telecommunications and IT expert," explained the state secretary.

"Bearing in mind that the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry has called on NATO to abandon the drills in Georgia, explaining that they could not contribute to the stabilization of the situation in the Caucasus, we have decided to, within the government, conduct further consolations on the level of relevant ministries that decide on the foreign policy issues," said Spasojević.

According to him, no decision has been made yet to send Serbian Army (VS) members to Georgia in order to participate in the exercise.

In the coming days, he continued, the Serbian government will make its decision, "that will be in the interest of the state".

"Back when these activities were planned in mid-2008, there was no conflict in the Caucasus on the horizon. We could not have assumed that there would be an armed conflict between the Russian Federation and Georgia," he further explained.

In parliament today, MPs from opposition New Serbia (NS) and Serb Radical Party (SRS) asked why Serbia planned to take part in the NATO drills in Georgia even though Russia has condemned them.

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