"Army improves Serbia's global reputation"

BELGRADE Aleksandar Vucic says the Serbian Army (VS) soldiers taking part in UN and EU peacekeeping operations are "the best possible ambassadors that the country has". According to the first deputy PM and defense minister, they are "improving Serbia's reputation in the world". "Army improves Serbia's global reputation" While presenting the Serbian government's draft defense cooperation agreements to be signed with the governments of Greece, Brazil, Angola and Indonesia before deputies in the Serbian parliament, Vucic said that the VS and the Defense Ministry were building the best possible relationship with everyone in the world. He added it was in the best interests of the citizens of Serbia and the policy would continue being pursued in the future. By preserving peace and defending national and state interests in line with the Constitution of Serbia, the defense sector will be a guarantor of security, he noted. “Our political cooperation with all the countries in the world is good, but the military cooperation has always been on a level higher than the economic and political ones. Our military cooperation is the best part of the cooperation of our country's, and I think we have indeed managed to embark on some very serious processes, including army professionalization,” said the defense minister. Vucic said that members of the Serbian Armed Forces who participate in the missions of the UN and the EU to Cyprus, Lebanon, Congo, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Uganda and Somalia were doing their job in the most professional manner and had never caused any incident. “They are the best possible ambassadors our country has,” he said, adding that two Serbian doctors who were part of the Norwegian contingent in a mission to Chad have so much improved Serbia's image in Norway's eyes that the country offered Serbia a closer cooperation. “In the future, the Serbian Armed Forces, Defense Ministry and other state bodies will be ready to respond to any kind of challenge in a responsible and serious manner - in the manner defined by the Serbian Constitution," Vucic said. He pointed out that Serbia's bilateral relations with partner countries in the missions were better than with other countries, which certainly opened up fresh opportunities for Serbia. In the biggest part, the draft agreements are concerning military and economic cooperation, and the countries involved are nations that have not recognized Kosovo's independence, Vucic said. When it comes to the cooperation with Angola, he said, we have plans to build a military hospital akin to the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade and to revamp an airport, said Vucuc. After signing the preliminary agreements, we can say the contracts will be worth hundreds of millions of euros, he added. “We expect to sign agreements on the sale of ammunition and light weapons, which is important to the defense industry,” said Vucic. He explained that the costs of participating in the missions were borne partly by Serbia and partly by the UN and the EU. While presenting the intergovernmental agreement between Serbia and Russia on the establishment of Russian-Serbian humanitarian center in Nis, southern Serbia, Vucic said that thanks to the creation of the center, Serbia had achieved great results in the defense against major natural disasters. A VS peacekeeper (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

"Army improves Serbia's global reputation"

While presenting the Serbian government's draft defense cooperation agreements to be signed with the governments of Greece, Brazil, Angola and Indonesia before deputies in the Serbian parliament, Vučić said that the VS and the Defense Ministry were building the best possible relationship with everyone in the world.

He added it was in the best interests of the citizens of Serbia and the policy would continue being pursued in the future.

By preserving peace and defending national and state interests in line with the Constitution of Serbia, the defense sector will be a guarantor of security, he noted.

“Our political cooperation with all the countries in the world is good, but the military cooperation has always been on a level higher than the economic and political ones. Our military cooperation is the best part of the cooperation of our country's, and I think we have indeed managed to embark on some very serious processes, including army professionalization,” said the defense minister.

Vučić said that members of the Serbian Armed Forces who participate in the missions of the UN and the EU to Cyprus, Lebanon, Congo, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Uganda and Somalia were doing their job in the most professional manner and had never caused any incident.

“They are the best possible ambassadors our country has,” he said, adding that two Serbian doctors who were part of the Norwegian contingent in a mission to Chad have so much improved Serbia's image in Norway's eyes that the country offered Serbia a closer cooperation.

“In the future, the Serbian Armed Forces, Defense Ministry and other state bodies will be ready to respond to any kind of challenge in a responsible and serious manner - in the manner defined by the Serbian Constitution," Vučić said.

He pointed out that Serbia's bilateral relations with partner countries in the missions were better than with other countries, which certainly opened up fresh opportunities for Serbia.

In the biggest part, the draft agreements are concerning military and economic cooperation, and the countries involved are nations that have not recognized Kosovo's independence, Vučić said.

When it comes to the cooperation with Angola, he said, we have plans to build a military hospital akin to the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade and to revamp an airport, said Vucuc.

After signing the preliminary agreements, we can say the contracts will be worth hundreds of millions of euros, he added.

“We expect to sign agreements on the sale of ammunition and light weapons, which is important to the defense industry,” said Vučić.

He explained that the costs of participating in the missions were borne partly by Serbia and partly by the UN and the EU.

While presenting the intergovernmental agreement between Serbia and Russia on the establishment of Russian-Serbian humanitarian center in Nis, southern Serbia, Vučić said that thanks to the creation of the center, Serbia had achieved great results in the defense against major natural disasters.