Defense minister meets with NATO official

Defense minister meets with NATO official

Rodić and Shirreff also discussed the cooperation between Serbia and NATO within the Partnership for Peace Program.

Among forthcoming activities within regional initiatives, special importance was attached to the meeting between deputy chiefs-of-staff within the Cooperation Process between South East Europe (SEEC) defense ministers which will take place in Belgrade from June 10 to 13.

"By engagement in the activities of the SEEC Forum for Western Balkans defense Cooperation through its project approach, the Serbian defense Ministry is promoting the possibilities of development and promotion of five national military centers as regional centers," the two officials were quoted as saying, d.

The five national centers comprise ABHO Center in Kruševac, the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade, the Niš Military Hospital, Base Jug (South) near Bujanovac, the Peace Keeping Operation Center in Belgrade and the center for ammunition and weapon disposal TRZ Kragujevac.

During the meeting, Rodić and Shirreff "expressed satisfaction with the cooperation achieved so far through programs and mechanism of work of the Serbia-NATO group for defense reform which ensures considerable bilateral support of NATO member countries, Partnership for Peace Program and the EU in terms of achieving partnership goals."

In July 2013, the new Trust Fund for the usage of the capacities of the Technical Repair Institute Kragujevac for the needs of the region, the officials said ad the meeting as quoted in the release.

The preparation of the Individual partnership action plan (IPAP) is also under way and activities have intensified in the Building Integrity Program, the Serbian Ministry of Defense noted.

"Serbia, which maintains a military neutral stand according to a decision adopted by the national Assembly, is a member of the NATO Partnership for Peace Program," Tanjug reported.