21.09.2012.

Minister at Belgrade Security Forum

First Vice President of the Serbian Government, and Minister and Defence Aleksandar Vucic spoke today in a panel discussion on the second Belgrade Security Forum, a conference dedicated to issues of global and regional security, economic development and international relations, which is held for the second consecutive year in Belgrade.

On this occasion, Minister Vucic said that, given the problem of Kosovo and Metohija, the question of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia and the issue of organized crime, including terrorist activities and the fight against corruption and, ultimately, economic crisis, Serbia is facing huge problems.

- Regional cooperation and cooperation with the European Union, as well as with all countries in the world, will greatly help us contribute to stability and to preserve peace and security in the region - said the Minister Vucic.

According to him, Serbia, as a militarily neutral country remains committed to cooperation with the EU Member States and European institutions in the field of common security and defense policy.

- The participation of the Ministry of Defense and the Army of Serbia in EU missions shows the political will and readiness of our country and our army to tackle the most complex tasks in confronting the challenges of modern security - as Minister Vucic stated remarking that the goal of our country is to contribute regional, European and global security in close cooperation with EU partners

He pointed out that the interest of all countries of the Western Balkans was to live in a stable, secure and prosperous region, as this is a goal that we all strive at, and something we will continue to participate in wholeheartedly.

Only by improving and deepening regional cooperation in defense and security can we contribute to the fight against global security challenges such as terrorism, organized crime, energy safety, cyber security, economic security and others – as Minister Vucic emphasized.

The second Belgrade Security Forum - "Dealing with the crisis: Challenges for Democracy and Security", was opened by Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, who stated that the Serbian government would try to find solutions to all issues and build new bridges with countries in the region.

The three-day conference, which involved more than 300 domestic and foreign experts, is organized by the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, the European Movement in Serbia, Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence.