Defense Ministry suspends Libya cooperation

Serbian Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac has stated that Belgrade has suspended military and economic cooperation with Libya based on the UN decision. He said that none of the active or retired members of the Serbian Army (VS) participated in the events in Libya. Defense Ministry suspends Libya cooperation Sutanovac pointed out that the Defense Ministry and the state of Serbia had had good relations with Libya and added that he hoped that large projects that had already started would be continued after the situation had stabilized. “The agreement on construction of a military hospital in Tripoli has been delayed but I believe that the situation will stabilize because it is in the interest of the Libyan people and the army and that the business will be launched,” he stated. The defense minister has assessed that it is important that Serbia has stopped speculations that the VS members are involved in the events in the North African country. When asked whether Serbia had decisively enough condemned the violence in Libya, he said that Serbia had been “loud and clear enough compared to its power”. The defense minister said that Angola was also interested in the construction of a military hospital, an equivalent of the Serbian Military Medical Academy (VMA), and that this would be a great opportunity not only for the defense industry and military medicine but also for the Serbian construction industry. Dragan Sutanovac (Beta, file) Labor minister on condemnation of Libyan violence Labor and Social Policy Minister Rasim Ljajic has stated that Serbia condemns every form of human rights violation, including the events in Libya, but that it is not necessary to create a special policy on the international level. “As far as condemnation of the events in Libya is concerned, we should not be more Catholics than the pope, and we shouldn’t remain silent over an evident fact that there have been some serious crimes and violation of human rights,” he told reporters. “I think we have reached the right measure in those two things,” the labor minister pointed out. When asked whether the Serbian officials had adequately condemned the crimes in Libya, he said that Serbia had primarily been guided by its own policy, economic and other interests. “Our first interest was to safely evacuate our citizens from Libya just like all other countries did,” Ljajic stressed.

Defense Ministry suspends Libya cooperation

Šutanovac pointed out that the Defense Ministry and the state of Serbia had had good relations with Libya and added that he hoped that large projects that had already started would be continued after the situation had stabilized.

“The agreement on construction of a military hospital in Tripoli has been delayed but I believe that the situation will stabilize because it is in the interest of the Libyan people and the army and that the business will be launched,” he stated.

The defense minister has assessed that it is important that Serbia has stopped speculations that the VS members are involved in the events in the North African country.

When asked whether Serbia had decisively enough condemned the violence in Libya, he said that Serbia had been “loud and clear enough compared to its power”.

The defense minister said that Angola was also interested in the construction of a military hospital, an equivalent of the Serbian Military Medical Academy (VMA), and that this would be a great opportunity not only for the defense industry and military medicine but also for the Serbian construction industry.

Labor minister on condemnation of Libyan violence

Labor and Social Policy Minister Rasim Ljajić has stated that Serbia condemns every form of human rights violation, including the events in Libya, but that it is not necessary to create a special policy on the international level.

“As far as condemnation of the events in Libya is concerned, we should not be more Catholics than the pope, and we shouldn’t remain silent over an evident fact that there have been some serious crimes and violation of human rights,” he told reporters.

“I think we have reached the right measure in those two things,” the labor minister pointed out.

When asked whether the Serbian officials had adequately condemned the crimes in Libya, he said that Serbia had primarily been guided by its own policy, economic and other interests.

“Our first interest was to safely evacuate our citizens from Libya just like all other countries did,” Ljajić stressed.