22.04.2013.
Scientific Conference on Position of Serbia in International Relations Opens
The Institute of International Politics and Economics in Belgrade began today a two-day scientific conference "Strategic Developments and Establishment of Serbia’s Position in Contemporary International Relations", organized by the Institute in cooperation with the prestigious German Hanns Seidel Foundation.The Conference was opened by Dusko Dimitrijevic, Director of the Institute for International Politics and Economics, Miroslav Jovanovic, Assistant Minister for Defence Policy, Mr Vladimir Bozovic, State Secretary at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ambassador Miomir Udovicki, Assistant Minister and Head of the Security Policy Sector of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Dr. Jovan Bazic and Lutz Kober, Project Manager of Hanns Seidel Foundation for Serbia and Montenegro.
Welcoming the participants of the scientific conference, Assistant Minister of Defence Miroslav Jovanovic pointed out that by the Resolution of the National Assembly on the protection of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitutional order of the Republic of Serbia, of 26 December 2007, the decision was made to declare military neutrality in relation to the existing military alliances, until possible referendum in which a final decision would be made on that matter.- Serbia does not plan to join any of the existing military alliances, although it cooperates with NATO, participating in the Partnership for Peace Programme as well as with the Collective Security Treaty Organization - CSTO (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan), in which the Parliamentary Assembly it has recently gained the observer status – Jovanovic said, stressing that bilateral defence cooperation is being realised with over 60 countries around the world.
Jovanovic pointed out that the EU membership is one of the priority foreign policy goals of Serbia. The Ministry of Defence, along with other line ministries, is responsible for the implementation of activities in the field of the EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). The current cooperation is focused on raising the administrative capacity for a more active cooperation in the framework of the CSDP, through defence reform, participation in the EU crisis management operations, the development of joint projects with the European Defence Agency and development of capacities for possible involvement in the EU battle groups.Among the foreign policy priorities of Serbia, Jovanovic singled out also the promotion of regional cooperation and development of relations with neighbouring countries and participation in the UN multinational operations and the EU crisis management operations, where it has been planned to have three times more participants this year than what we had in 2012.
The conference focuses on political, legal, military security, economic, technological and social phenomena and processes determining the foreign policy, international legal, international economic and security position of Serbia in contemporary international relations.
