02.04.2009.

Minister's press conference

The Government of Serbia adopted the National Security Strategy and the Defense Strategy as strategic documents Serbia haad adopted for the first time in its history, as Minister of Defense, Dragan Sutanovac stated yesterday at a press conference after the Government’s session.

The National Security Strategy is the top and most important strategy document in the area of national security which, besides other things, defines the basis of security organizing at the top state level.
It represents a general program standpoint in the area of security the realization of which enables the protection of national interests from threats and risks.

The Defense Strategy outlines the standing points on security, defense interests, SAF missions, structure, functioning and development of the defense system. It represents a follow-up on the part regarding the defense within the National Security Strategy.

At the press conference, Minister Sutanovac reminded the journalists that the Government had recently adopted the Strategic Defense Review, the starting document in mid-term planning designed to effectively manage defense resources. He pointed out that the laws on military, labor and material obligations and civil service recently submitted to the Parliament, adding that the public discussion on the Draft Act on Deployment of Forces and other forces in multinational operations beyond the borders of Serbia, and this drafts act is currently in the Government of Serbia.

Furthermore, as Sutanovac announced, the drafts of acts on military security services-the Military Security and Military Intelligence Agencies as the Act on Arms Proliferation and Trade are being finalized.

Saving measures, the Ministry of Defense plan to review and redesign the equipping plan, which would not threaten the security of the south of Serbia. The number of professional members of SAF in the Ground Safety Zone. Depending the capabilities of MoD, the process of establishing a professional army would continue.

Answering the questions of journalists, Sutanovac stated that the Government had not yet considered any new measures which would decrease the budgetary deficit by RSD 100 billion, which makes the presented plan still effective. The government also considered the Review submitted by the Minister for State and Local Self-Government, Milan Markovic, regarding the rationalization of state government and cutting down on the number of civil servants in local self-governments, and in that respect, Sutanovac said that there were town with a surplus of civil servants, such as Leskovac for example.

At the end of the conference, Sutanovac reiterated the Government’s stance that saving measures would be implemented wherever possible.