12.09.2013.

Minister of Defence received the US delegation

The Minister of Defence of the Government of the Republic of Serbia Nebojsa Rodic spoke today with the commander of the Ohio National Guard Major General Deborah Ashenhurst and the U.S. Ambassador to Belgrade Michael Kirby .

Stating that the military cooperation is an extremely important part of bilateral relations between Serbia and the U.S. , both sides expressed their commitment to further promoting joint activities that would increase the operational and functional capabilities of the Army of Serbia .

They expressed gratitude to the U.S. side for assistance under the financial assistance of foreign armed forces and initiatives for peace operations (FMF - Foreign Military Financing , GPOI - Global Peacekeeping Operations Initiative), while reiterating exceptional importance of the Master Plan for the Development of the Training Unit for multinational operations based in " Jug" which was designed with the expert support of ONG representatives..

"With the support of our American partners we want to create a unique and modern training center for multinational operations unit , which will provide excellent training of the Army of Serbia and their counterparts from other countries," said Minister Rodic.

At the meeting it was noted that the Ministry of Defence is interested in the joint commitment of the Serbian Army medical teams and the U.S. armed forces. Both sides expressed satisfaction at the beginning of cooperation in the training of chaplains , as well as the cooperation with regard to the education and training of our members in the United States.

The commander of the Ohio National Guard Major General Ashenhurst said that the partnership with Serbia was very important, expressing her satisfaction with the implementation of all the activities within the State Partnership Program. She stated the willingness for future continuation of cooperation and improvement of all previous forms of co-operation and continued support , especially when it comes to developing military base "Jug" and the training of SAF declared units.