Tadić: Serbia's future in Euro-Atlantic integration

President Boris Tadic says that the only way for Serbia to achieve its national goals is to join the EU. "EU membership has not only a political and economic dimension, it has a deep national one as well. Only with EU membership can we once again fulfill that national ideal of living together in one state, as we did in former Yugoslavia," Tadic told Odbrana (Defense) magazine. Tadic: Serbia's future in Euro-Atlantic integration The president added this was not a nationalist, but rather a national policy, and that his job was not to isolate Serbia but to create allies, "the more, the better." Tadic also said that the debate over whether or not Serbia should move toward Europe is not new, reminding that at the end of the 19th century, the parliament in Belgrade saw a discussion on whether or not the country should build a railway. "The Radicals were then advocating the idea that the railway will bring with it disease, run over our children, destroy our patriarchal way of living and our identity. Naprednjaci [Progressive Party] said we needed the railway and needed the modernization. In a way, this present-day debate over moving closer to Europe is the continued discussion on the railway," Tadic told the magazine, published by the Ministry of Defense. "If someone manages to offer proof today that the railway destroyed us, they will also manage to persuade me that we should not join the EU. Since that argument does not exist, let's move on," the president said. He added that the road towards the Union does not necessarily lead through NATO membership, citing countries such as Austria or Sweden as examples, but adding that their position is significantly different from that of Serbia. "These countries have at no point found themselves on the other side of the barrier. That is a problem. However, we have achieved a strategic goal of entering Euro-Atlantic integration, that is, Partnership for Peace membership. This integration process can go further, and I believe this is more than necessary," Tadic said. "In the end, it will be the citizens of Serbia who will decide on whether or not we will join NATO, in a referendum organized when the time comes, and it is certain no individual politician will make this decision. The citizens will decide in line with their interests and the situation they find themselves in, and that situation will be, it is not hard to guess, [Serbia] surrounded by NATO member states," the president said. Tadic also spoke about the Serbian Army, saying it must be professionalized and modernized. According to the president, who was also defense minister in the federal government, and whose high party ally, Dragan Sutanovac, today holds the position in the Serbian cabinet, the army does not need "hundreds of fighter jets", but it will have to acquire combat helicopters, drones, modern communications systems, modern equipment for its special units, and new electronic systems in all sectors. "The army is without a doubt moving towards professionalization. The people who are now in the military, are not there by chance, they went through a selection process. We used to have 78,000 soldiers, but will now aim to have an army of just under 30,000 members. Such are the regional forces as well. Our army will be one of the largest, and when it is also one of the best equipped, we will have reached our goals," Tadic explained. President Boris Tadic during a recent tour of army positions in the south (FoNet)

Tadić: Serbia's future in Euro-Atlantic integration

The president added this was not a nationalist, but rather a national policy, and that his job was not to isolate Serbia but to create allies, "the more, the better."

Tadić also said that the debate over whether or not Serbia should move toward Europe is not new, reminding that at the end of the 19th century, the parliament in Belgrade saw a discussion on whether or not the country should build a railway.

"The Radicals were then advocating the idea that the railway will bring with it disease, run over our children, destroy our patriarchal way of living and our identity. Naprednjaci [Progressive Party] said we needed the railway and needed the modernization. In a way, this present-day debate over moving closer to Europe is the continued discussion on the railway," Tadić told the magazine, published by the Ministry of Defense.

"If someone manages to offer proof today that the railway destroyed us, they will also manage to persuade me that we should not join the EU. Since that argument does not exist, let's move on," the president said.

He added that the road towards the Union does not necessarily lead through NATO membership, citing countries such as Austria or Sweden as examples, but adding that their position is significantly different from that of Serbia.

"These countries have at no point found themselves on the other side of the barrier. That is a problem. However, we have achieved a strategic goal of entering Euro-Atlantic integration, that is, Partnership for Peace membership. This integration process can go further, and I believe this is more than necessary," Tadić said.

"In the end, it will be the citizens of Serbia who will decide on whether or not we will join NATO, in a referendum organized when the time comes, and it is certain no individual politician will make this decision. The citizens will decide in line with their interests and the situation they find themselves in, and that situation will be, it is not hard to guess, [Serbia] surrounded by NATO member states," the president said.

Tadić also spoke about the Serbian Army, saying it must be professionalized and modernized.

According to the president, who was also defense minister in the federal government, and whose high party ally, Dragan Šutanovac, today holds the position in the Serbian cabinet, the army does not need "hundreds of fighter jets", but it will have to acquire combat helicopters, drones, modern communications systems, modern equipment for its special units, and new electronic systems in all sectors.

"The army is without a doubt moving towards professionalization. The people who are now in the military, are not there by chance, they went through a selection process. We used to have 78,000 soldiers, but will now aim to have an army of just under 30,000 members. Such are the regional forces as well. Our army will be one of the largest, and when it is also one of the best equipped, we will have reached our goals," Tadić explained.