08.12.2011.
Session of PELT Board of Directors
At the meeting today of the Board of Directors of PELT of the Ministry of Defense and the Army of Serbia in the field of English language (Program for English Language Training and Testing STANAG 6001) it was agreed that the program is being successfully implemented and contributes significantly to the development of communication skills in English professional force, first through education, and later through intensive language courses and garrison courses, with certification according to STANAG 6001- It is of particular importance both for our interoperability with international forces, and the convergence of cultures, customs, values and better mutual understanding particularly with the European Union - said in his opening words of Brigadier General Sladjan Djordjevic, deputy representative of the Minister for Human resources.
General Djordjevic was especially pleased that the U.S. had recognized the value and the results achieved and the contribution of PELT active involvement in the program to the Ministry of Defense and the Army of Serbia’s main objective of having staff trained in English at any level of language proficiency according to STANAG 6001 .Today's meeting was attended by military and diplomatic representatives of PELT donor countries - Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Great Britain and Denmark, including the representatives of the United States as a new partner in the project and representatives of the British Council who provided valuable technical and advisory support.
PELT program in the Ministry of Defense and the Serbian Army has been conducted since 2006 and is part of the general plan of our ministry to achieve interoperability requirements for language, as one of the conditions for engaging in a multinational environment. So far, 14 centers for teaching English in the garrisons of the Army of Serbia have been opened. A team of English native speakers are engaged for verification of knowledge during testing, which has so far issued 2,156 certificates.Appreciating the high scores so far in the program, the Board of Directors has confirmed that partners and the U.S. would to continue to provide financial and expert support by 2015 as a time frame for achieving the goal of the partnership and the establishment of an effective, long-term and stable system of study, testing and evaluation of English language in the Serbian defense system.
