25.01.2010. 09.02
Minister for Blic
|
This time next year there will be no compulsory military service?
 The claim of the outgoing President of Croatia Stjepan Mesic that he would gather an army if the Republika Srpska government were to open a referendum should not harm the relations in the region, yet serves to prove that Mesic is the cause of shaky relations between Belgrade and Zagreb, as Dragan Sutanovac, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Serbia and DS Vice President stated in his interview to Blic daily.
Sutanovac goes on to say that such statements destabilize the region and set of red alerts reminiscent of the past.
The fact remains that Mesic does not have the capacity to do such a thing as the newly-elected President Ivo Josipovic stated the following day that this was not an option. It seems that Mesic’s mask was down in the last days of his office showing his true face. If there are any problems in the relations of Croatia and Serbia, he was most certainly the generator of this negative energy.
Could this undermine the relations in the region?
- Any warmongering and clanking of the arms stirs up spirits and causes tension and this most certainly does not contribute to stabilization of relations between Croatia and Serbia! We should bear in mind that this was the matrix for destruction in these regions in the past! I am convinced that this is an isolated outburst of an outgoing president and that it would not permanently ruin regional situation!
Peter Faith is announcing a new strategy for the north of Kosovo. Can a new wave of violence sweep through Kosovo if this strategy is imposed upon the north part of Kosovo?
- Any strategy which does not envision the cooperation of non-Albanian ethnicities and imposes this as a solution for those municipalities with Serbian majority is not welcome. The President of Serbia has already underlined this and drew the attention of the international community on this particular problem during his speech in UN. WE are closely monitoring the situation in the north, and I believe that we will surmount any problems through diplomatic means.
Will Serbia have to join NATO eventually or is it involvement in PfP just the right measure?
- The partnership for Peace Program is just the right measure at this moment, but on the other hand we are facing a rather emotional public debate that barely verges on real life. We are yet to receive a proper analysis of the possibility for joining such a powerful organization and the effects of obtaining membership, based upon the data such as the living standard, economic prosperity, the current state of agriculture, foreign investments, health care system and education.
You personally said “why not join NATO”?
- I want to understand both positions. After a well-prepared campaign of one opposition party , supported by “intellectuals” we see no rational reasons for criticism. I have personally expected a much more founded attack of Eurosceptics, but it came down to was a modest analysis of the past without a speck of self-criticism! Let me remind you that part of the signatories of the petition opposed our re-obtaining the membership in UN after October 5, 2000 and that they had rather irrational explanations for such a position. Serbia has to find a way to integrate itself into various systems, from regional to global, as that is the only way to stabilize relations in the region as well.
On the other hand, there are those who say that joining NATO would be a step back in fighting for Kosovo in terms of cooperation with Russia?
- We shouldn’t do anything that would undermine our struggle to maintain the integrity of our country , and NATO has not even recognized Kosovo. The same people who advocate this stance say, no to EU because of Kosovo, they support KFOR yet do not support our joining the NATO. They are for EULEX and against EU at the same time, which is a rather schizophrenic situation in politics. There are no real arguments.
Will the army be fully professionalized by the end of 2010.?
- I can promise that me and my team will all in our power to finalize this process. The process of employing professionals takes time. We lost 2005, 2006 and part of 2007. I hope to garner appropriate media coverage and support of the Government and the local authorities to bring this task to a close. This full professionalization mean canceling of the mandatory military service. We will provide the candidates who want to serve in the army to undergo training and to get certified. We have also introduced active reserve corps as a new system of organization in the army. I believe that the President wile b able to suspend mandatory military service based upon the report we have to submit.
How many army men are we talking about?
- The total personnel plan envisions 36 000 men, 28000 of whom are in the military, and two thousand are in training. This number represents a serious military formation in the region, and even now our army is very respectable. However, we must bear in mind that we are sadly ill-equipped and that our weapon systems are obsolete. With the budgetary funds appropriated, and which is minimal, we somehow manage to maintain the equipment functional, but the question is how long will this be so? We have to procure new air defense systems, armored vehicles, uniforms…
When do you expect the election session of DS to take place??
- This year.
Will the number of vice presidents increase?
- There are various options, and the Presidential session will be the moment for discussing such options.
- Will you nominate yourself again?
- I have never nominated myself as a candidate in DS, there is no such thing as self-nomination. But if I am suggested as a candidate and other nominate me, then I will be happy to accept nomination.
Your party colleague Dtagan Jesic criticized the current state in DS, saying that some were getting votes and other were getting functions and that something must be changed?
- I would not comment on such statements, DS like any other party has a life of its own and it is only necessary that it slows down when many party members are in state positions. However, we are all subjects to change and we have to accept that.
- That was also announced by the President at the last Main Board of the party.
|
|
|
Minister of defense Dragan Sutanovac thanked today in Beijing during the talks he had with the Spokesperson of the the Chairman of the National People's Congress Wu Banguuo for the support China is giving Serbia in its diplomatic attempts to preserve the sovereignty and integrity at Kosovo. more >>
Art ensemble "Stanislav Binički"