14.03.2012.
Gen Djukanovic at the meeting of the EU MIlitary Committee
Two weeks after the decision on the status of candidate for EU membership, Serbia has officially participated in the meeting of one of the EU bodies. Today at the session of the EU Military Committee, which deals with issues of common security and defense policy, General Nebojsa Djukanovic participated as the representative of Serbia as membership candidate country.The meeting whose topic of discussion was the EU military operations, military exercises in 2012 year and further development of EU military capabilities, was chaired by General Hakan Siren, who welcomed the participation of Serbia at the meeting for the first time. General Nebojsa Djukanovic, the Head of the Military Representative to the Mission of the Republic of Serbia to NATO, said that obtaining candidacy status opened has opened a new chapter in relations between the Republic of Serbia and the EU to include the deepening of cooperation and partnership within the framework of the Common Foreign and Security Policy. He stressed that the Ministry of Defence, as part of comprehensive reforms in the past four years, had significantly contributed to the establishment and deepening of military cooperation with the EU, especially in creating the conditions for participation in military and civilian missions of the Union, establishing cooperation with the European Defense Agency, which is now ongoing, as well participation in battle groups.
The fact that a member of SAF is the first Serbian representative at the meeting of an EU body, clearly shows that the Union has recognized the capacity of the defense system reforms in the European integration of Serbia. This is only a first step, because in the next few days other ministries, bodies and agencies in the administration of the Republic of Serbia will be invited to participate in a large number of EU institutions. This will not only confirm that the candidacy status brings new partnership, but also participation in these meetings can be the best way to protect the interests of Serbia, not only in defense and security, but also trade, agriculture, environmental industries. It is therefore the best indicator of the benefits of the new status that Serbia has, now that is a candidate for EU membership.
The EU Military Committee is the main body that examines the latest achievement of policy cooperation within the EU Common Security and Defence Policy. It was established in the mid 1990s with the intention for the member states to unite their military capacities so they can jointly provide for the maintenance of peace and security, but also strengthen the EU foreign policy influence as a regional framework to support the activities of the United Nations.
The main task of the EU Military Committee to consider the active and potential crisis and hot spots, monitor the UN activities in these matters, and decide on the involvement of its capacity for crisis management. Mission of the EU combined military and police forces with civilian efforts, and its main aim is to provide a permanent solution to the conflict, not only the cessation of hostilities. Serbia, as a country that has expressed interest in participation in EU crisis management missions, is very much interested in participating in the Military Committee, because this will provide Serbia with a direct insight into the situation but will also be able to put forward its opinions directly and its national interest to be directly engaged.