12.04.2013.
Assistant Minister Jovanovic talks with Ambassador of the Netherlands
During the meeting at the Ministry of Defence today, Assistant Minister for Defence Policy Miroslav Jovanovic and Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, H.E. E. Laurent Louis Stokvis, have exchanged their views on the political security situation in the region and the key foreign policy issues.
Assistant Minister Jovanovic conveyed the message that Serbia expects full support of the Netherlands on its path towards the European Union. He assessed that signing of an agreement on military cooperation in order to more precisely define the scope of cooperation and areas of common interest would contribute to the promotion of further cooperation. Assistant Minister Jovanovic introduced Ambassador Stokvis to the activities in working on a building integrity project and in the process of combating organized crime and systemic corruption, noting that the intention of the Ministry of Defence is to set clear standards of work as a reference for other ministries to harmonise with. Jovanovic informed the Ambassador about the achievements of the Ministry of Defence in the process of establishing cooperation with the European Defence Agency and invited the Dutch side to present new proposals for cooperation with Serbia in that direction.
Ambassador Stokvis conveyed positive impressions about the work of new Government and pointed out that the reforms musst be continued in order to ensure continuous development of society, in line with European standards.
He particularly thanked the Ministry of Defence on borrowing the exhibit of the Military Museum – railroad plough (railway track destroyer) – a diversion device, to the Railway Museum in Utrecht, on the occasion of 300th anniversary of Peace of Utrecht. Stokvis assessed cooperation with Serbia as good and that there is willingness to further enhance relations and expressed satisfaction with the signed bilateral military cooperation plan for 2013 expressing the hope that cooperation in the forthcoming period will be intensified.
