Minister: Serbia not sliding toward NATO

BELGRADE EU integration is one of the government's top priorities and Serbia's security has a very important place within the integration, says Nebojsa Rodic. But the defense minister at the same time noted that the country was not "sliding toward NATO membership." Minister: Serbia not sliding toward NATO “Serbia is not sliding to NATO membership, nor is the priority and intensity of its cooperation with the Russian Federation dropping on any issue, including the defense and security area, on the contrary,” Rodic told the daily Politika, when asked why military cooperation with NATO member countries was "far more intensive than that with Russia and other non-NATO countries." “The fact that we institutionalized the cooperation and are actively participating in the European Defence Agency (EDA) does not mean that we renounced our basic strategic commitment embodied in the military neutrality in the existing military alliances,” Rodic said. “Still, in keeping with our pro-European orientation in terms of foreign policy as a top government priority, the Defense Ministry is also contributing through its activities to the process of EU accession as its armed forces are aiming to fulfil all the necessary requirements for the strategic task to be completed as soon and with as much success as possible,” he said. Rodic noted that Serbia's participation in eight peacekeeping missions should be viewed in this context. Serbia's forces are participating in six missions as part of UN forces and two more are active in the crisis management tasks within EU missions. Serbia is negotiating with Russia concerning modernization of aviation and aircraft defense which would include both planes and missile systems and other equipment, he said. The Defense Ministry is currently not interested in the purchase of radar equipment within the Balkans Regional Approach to Air Defense (BRAAD) program, Rodic said and underscored that it is important to note this does not mean Serbia's support to reinforcement of regional cooperation is dropping because the country has invested fresh efforts to this end. Nebojsa Rodic (Beta, file) Politika Tanjug

Minister: Serbia not sliding toward NATO

“Serbia is not sliding to NATO membership, nor is the priority and intensity of its cooperation with the Russian Federation dropping on any issue, including the defense and security area, on the contrary,” Rodić told the daily Politika, when asked why military cooperation with NATO member countries was "far more intensive than that with Russia and other non-NATO countries."

“The fact that we institutionalized the cooperation and are actively participating in the European Defence Agency (EDA) does not mean that we renounced our basic strategic commitment embodied in the military neutrality in the existing military alliances,” Rodić said.

“Still, in keeping with our pro-European orientation in terms of foreign policy as a top government priority, the Defense Ministry is also contributing through its activities to the process of EU accession as its armed forces are aiming to fulfil all the necessary requirements for the strategic task to be completed as soon and with as much success as possible,” he said.

Rodić noted that Serbia's participation in eight peacekeeping missions should be viewed in this context. Serbia's forces are participating in six missions as part of UN forces and two more are active in the crisis management tasks within EU missions.

Serbia is negotiating with Russia concerning modernization of aviation and aircraft defense which would include both planes and missile systems and other equipment, he said.

The Defense Ministry is currently not interested in the purchase of radar equipment within the Balkans Regional Approach to Air Defense (BRAAD) program, Rodić said and underscored that it is important to note this does not mean Serbia's support to reinforcement of regional cooperation is dropping because the country has invested fresh efforts to this end.