29.05.2026.

Meeting between ministers Gašić, Kaliňák in Bratislava

As part of his official visit to the Slovak Republic, Minister of Defence Bratislav Gašić met today in Bratislava with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of Slovakia, Robert Kaliňák, with whom he discussed global political and security situation, as well as bilateral military cooperation and its enhancement.

After the official welcome ceremony, including the inspection of an honour guard and the playing of the two countries’ national anthems, a tête-à-tête was held between Serbian and Slovakian ministers of defence, followed by a meeting between the delegations of the two countries.

While discussing the global security situation, Minister Gašić noted that Serbia’s defence policy is based on respect for international law, the preservation of military neutrality, and the continued strengthening of its national defence capabilities. He emphasized that Serbia’s foreign policy remains focused on its European future and membership in the European Union, as well as on intensifying bilateral and multilateral cooperation with countries in the region and around the world.

The meeting highlighted Serbia’s particular contribution to regional and global stability through the participation of its security forces personnel in UN and EU multinational operations. It was also highlighted that, since September 2017, Serbia has been a full members of the EU HELBROC Battlegroup, thereby contributing to enhanced interoperability with the armed forces of other countries.

Minister Gašić said that, in line with its national interests, Serbia remains a committed and credible partner, as well as a guarantor and generator of regional security. He reaffirmed Serbia’s commitment to maintaining an appropriate level of cooperation with NATO within the framework of the Partnership for Peace Programme, which represents the optimal framework for cooperation, as demonstrated by the recently conducted joint exercise.

The two ministers also discussed strengthening defence cooperation and aligning it with the excellent political and economic relations between the two countries. Minister Gašić assessed that military-economic cooperation is the main area of defence cooperation. He also highlighted the importance of cooperation in the areas of military education and military medicine, while noting that there is additional scope for enhancing military-to-military cooperation through various mutually beneficial modalities.

Minister Kaliňák stated that cooperation between the ministries of defence of Slovakia and Serbia is founded on mutual trust, and added that today’s talks reaffirmed the readiness of both sides to further strengthen military cooperation through the exchange of experiences and the implementation of joint activities in areas of mutual interest.

Today’s meeting was attended by members of the delegation of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, led by Minister Gašić, including Acting Assistant Minister for Material Resources Nenad Miloradović, Head of the Operations Department (J-3) of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, Brigadier General Vladan Milosavljević, Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence, Brigadier General Nikola Matović, Lieutenant Colonel Miloš Krvavac of the Defence Policy Sector, the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Slovakia Aleksandar Nakić, as well as the Defence Attaché of the Republic of Serbia in Vienna, Lieutenant Colonel Dejan Tepavac.

After the meeting and discussions, Minister Gašić signed the Ministry of Defence of Slovakia’s Book of Honoured Guests.