"More than 500 Serbian troops in peacekeeping missions"

"More than 500 Serbian troops in peacekeeping missions"

Gašić specified that a total of 67 VS troops and two staff officers from the medical unit will take part in the UN-mandated peacekeeping operations in the Central African Republic in 2014.

The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) involves a light field hospital with 6 VS members, said Gašić, noting that the mission will be carried out in cooperation with the German contingent.

VS troops will also participate in the EU-led military operation in this country (EUFOR RCA), the minister added.

The Committee accepted the amendments to the proposed decision on the involvement and participation of VS troops in UN and EU-mandated peacekeeping operations in the Central African Republic, which enters into force on the day of its publication in the Official Gazette.

"Best part"

Bilateral military cooperation between Serbia and the United States is the best part of overall bilateral cooperation between the two countries, Bratislav Gašić said on Monday.

Presenting the Bill on the Confirmation of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of the United States of America concerning security measures for the protection of classified military data in the Serbian parliament, Gašić said that starting to implement the agreement would have met all the conditions for developing serious cooperation between intelligences and security services of the two countries.

“Moving on to the implementation of the agreement will provide for an efficient modernization of the defense system through the purchase of equipment and technologies that Serbia currently has no right of access to,” Gašić said.

He added that a Serbia-U.S. mixed defense system reform commission had been formed and a plan of joint activities for the upcoming three-year period had been adopted.

“In this regard, it is realistic to expect developing and strengthening bilateral military cooperation, especially through extensive participation in joint training and exercises,” the defense minister said.

In the afternoon sitting of the ninth extraordinary session, Serbian MPs are discussing a number of international agreements, including the Bill on the Confirmation of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of the Republic of Slovenia on Exchange and Mutual Protection of Classified Data.

The agreement indicates a willingness to improve bilateral cooperation with Slovenia in the security sector, and the MPs will also discuss similar agreements with Macedonia and the Czech Republic.

The agenda of the session also includes the Bill on the Confirmation of the Security Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Council of Ministers of Bosnia-Herzegovina.