Ministry of defence Republic of Serbia
 
13.05.2009.

Sutanovac: It is good that Turkey didn’t submit its plea



Minister of Defence Dragan Sutanovac said that recognition of Kosovo and Metohija’s unilateral independence was one of the biggest problems affecting the relations between Turkey and Serbia.
“On the other hand, Turkey didn’t lodge a plea to the International Court of Justice thus showing its good will not to threaten Serbia’s interests, in other words, not to influence the Court’s work”, as Sutanovac pointed out to Beta agency after the meeting with the Turkish President Abdulah Gul and he said that it was “a good signal” from that country.

He pointed out that the Kosovo question was a problem which two countries could not resolve at the moment, but that did not mean that officials shouldn’t be resolving other problems for the well-being of both countries’ citizens.

After the talk with the Chief of GS of Turkish AF Ilker Basbug, Sutanovac assessed that there was a mutual understanding for cooperation between the two countries in defence, and for possible mutual projects, as he mentioned the conversion of Ladjevci airport.

“That would be the best solution, because a large number of Serbia’s citizens who live in the Sandzak County, travel everyday from Pristina to Istanbul and Ankara”, said Sutanovac, adding that there was a great interest in cooperation in defence industry.

Minister said that Turkey has shown interest in the projects developed in the Military Technical Institute in Belgrade, such as tanks, engines, training airplanes or gunpowder manufactured in Lucani.

“We are convinced that some of those plans would be realized and that, as early as next year, we would have concrete results”, he said.

Sutanovac reminded that this year Turkish President Gul would be visiting Serbia, and that the Chief of GS Basbug would be participating in 12th Chifs of Army Conference which is to be held in Belgrade.

Yesterday, the Serbian Minister of Defence started his two-day visit to Ankara with talks with the Turkish Minister of Defence Mehmet Vezdij Gonul, after which he laid a commemorative wreath on Kemal Pasha Ataturk Mausoleum, and visited the Military Academy.

At the end of his visit to Turkey, Minister Sutanovac visited the Turkish Special Forces Command.
 
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