03.10.2011.

Minister Sutanovac attends meeting of Defence Ministers from SEDM countries

Defence Minister Dragan Sutanovac said today that South-Eastern Europe Defence Ministers, who participated at the regional conference in Antalya, supported Serbian stand that the solution for Kosovo and Metohija crisis be reached through dialogue.

Sutanovac said that, on the margins of the meeting, he also talked with a large number of ministers about the problems which are most important for Serbia at this moment – that is the security problem in Kosovo and Metohija.

“Absolutely all interlocutors and conference participants support Serbia’s stand that the final solution be reached through dialogue, and we believe that is the best starting position and a way to reach the solution that will observe the rights of all those who live in Kosovo and Metohija today”, he said.

Sutanovac pointed out that “nobody supports violence, as well as, that everyone insists and wishes that the final solution be reached in a peaceful manner through dialogue”.

According to his words, that will enable all citizens who live in Kosovo and Metohija to have equal rights and a possibility to live a normal life.

Sutanovac added that the meeting represents an opportunity for exchange of opinions and standpoints on issues of regional and global security, “in light of economic crisis and the challenges that are threatening the region and the global security at the same time”.

Minister Sutanovac is attending the Meeting of Defence Ministers from the Cooperation Process member states, which takes place on October 2nd and 3rd in Antalya in Turkey.

Following the meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Ismet Yilmaz, Sutanovac said that the conversion of the military airport “Morava” near Kraljevo, which is conducted together with the Turkish side, would be finished in the course of this year, whereas the first civilian flights would be possible in the early 2012.

“In the last four years, Serbia has built exceptionally good relations with Turkey in the area of defence”, Sutanovac assessed, adding that, with Turkish Defence Minister, he also talked about, “the biggest joint project, conversion of the airport Morava in Ladjevci, which is to be finished this year”.

Sutanovac said that he expected first civilian aviation aircrafts to take off from the airport “Morava” as early as next year.

“Great satisfaction is the fact that already in the next days, on October 5, the first promotional civilian flight will take place”, he said.

Sutanovac also pointed out how that would demonstrate that all set deadlines had been met and “will finally show, even to sceptics, that Serbia really makes big efforts so that the airport would become civilian-military one”.

Serbian Defence Minister has had a number of bilateral meetings with numerous colleagues who participate at the conference.

Initiative for the establishment of the cooperation process between the South-Eastern Europe Defence Ministers (SEDM) was launched in March 1996 in Tirana, proposed by the US, with the intention of reinforcing the cooperation between the South-East Europe and the USA in the defence field.

The main goal of the cooperation is intensifying of understanding and political-military cooperation in the South-East Europe region so as to reinforce stability and security.

SEDM members are: the USA, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Albania, Ukraine, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia, whereas Georgia and Moldova have the observer status.

The decision on Serbia’s admission to SEDM was reached at the SEDM ministerial meeting in October 2009 in Sofia.

Tanjug