Šutanovac: No rush to join NATO

Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac says that Serbia is not currently interested in applying for NATO membership. Sutanovac added that the organization had never set that as a condition for further enhancing cooperation. “On the contrary, Serbia adopted a resolution on military neutrality in relation to its existing military alliances and this concept must be developed further,” he said. Sutanovac: No rush to join NATO He reiterated that parliament, along with a set of defense laws, was discussing the adoption of a national security and defense strategy. In an editorial piece for weekly NIN, Sutanovac said that this topic was opened periodically in Serbia, in order to “appease demagogical party interests, led by speculation, prejudice and a lack of knowledge regarding the facts.” “Having the bad experience of 1999 in mind, and the culmination of the wrong policies, we must open a constructive debate now, and, in cooperation with the expert public, create a rational analysis of the most constructive level of cooperation between Serbia and NATO,” he said. The defense minister said that NATO was not the same alliance of the 12 founders it once was, which was created as a response to an ideological conflict between East and West. Today it is a political-military alliance of 28 countries, which, he said, was seen and accepted as an essential element of the European and international security order. “Of our neighbors, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania and Croatia are full-fledged members, Macedonia is at its door, while Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina have defined Alliance membership as a foreign policy goal,” Sutanovac explained. “Moreover, NATO also has a physical presence in Kosovo, and cooperation between the Serbian military and KFOR is key for the stability of the entire region,” Sutanovac said, reiterating that Serbia was participating in the NATO Partnership for Peace program. “For now it is our priority to make use of all mechanisms to become active members of this program and reach the status of ‘advanced’ participants in the Partnership for Peace program, such as Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden and Ireland,” he said, adding that the opening of a Serbian mission in Brussels, planned for the end of the year, was the country’s main priority. Sutanovac added that friendly countries like Greece, Spain, Romania, Slovakia, which supported Serbia in regards to the Kosovo status question, were also NATO members. Serbia and NATO have a difficult history and memories are still fresh and difficult, he said. “But, ten years on, there needs to be a way to open constructive dialogue in society on the subject of NATO, not to turn every attempt at this into an excuse for quasi-patriotism and cheap demagogy,” the minister stressed. “Maybe it is time to think about the possibility of an emotional ‘resetting’ of relations with NATO, by using the full potential of the Partnership for Peace program,” Sutanovac suggested.

Šutanovac: No rush to join NATO

He reiterated that parliament, along with a set of defense laws, was discussing the adoption of a national security and defense strategy.

In an editorial piece for weekly NIN, Šutanovac said that this topic was opened periodically in Serbia, in order to “appease demagogical party interests, led by speculation, prejudice and a lack of knowledge regarding the facts.”

“Having the bad experience of 1999 in mind, and the culmination of the wrong policies, we must open a constructive debate now, and, in cooperation with the expert public, create a rational analysis of the most constructive level of cooperation between Serbia and NATO,” he said.

The defense minister said that NATO was not the same alliance of the 12 founders it once was, which was created as a response to an ideological conflict between East and West.

Today it is a political-military alliance of 28 countries, which, he said, was seen and accepted as an essential element of the European and international security order.

“Of our neighbors, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania and Croatia are full-fledged members, Macedonia is at its door, while Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina have defined Alliance membership as a foreign policy goal,” Šutanovac explained.

“Moreover, NATO also has a physical presence in Kosovo, and cooperation between the Serbian military and KFOR is key for the stability of the entire region,” Šutanovac said, reiterating that Serbia was participating in the NATO Partnership for Peace program.

“For now it is our priority to make use of all mechanisms to become active members of this program and reach the status of ‘advanced’ participants in the Partnership for Peace program, such as Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden and Ireland,” he said, adding that the opening of a Serbian mission in Brussels, planned for the end of the year, was the country’s main priority.

Šutanovac added that friendly countries like Greece, Spain, Romania, Slovakia, which supported Serbia in regards to the Kosovo status question, were also NATO members.

Serbia and NATO have a difficult history and memories are still fresh and difficult, he said.

“But, ten years on, there needs to be a way to open constructive dialogue in society on the subject of NATO, not to turn every attempt at this into an excuse for quasi-patriotism and cheap demagogy,” the minister stressed.

“Maybe it is time to think about the possibility of an emotional ‘resetting’ of relations with NATO, by using the full potential of the Partnership for Peace program,” Šutanovac suggested.