06.11.2013.

International Forum of Senior Non-Commissioned Officers of Central and South-East Europe opened

In “Breza“ Hotel, Vrnjačka Banja, the fourth International Forum of Senior Non-Commissioned Officers of Central and South-East Europe has started today.

Opening the forum the Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces General Ljubiša Diković pointed out the importance of regional military cooperation which should contribute to the stability in this region, strengthening of confidence and understanding, but also to create basis for joint countering threats and challenges.

- I express a great pleasure at the fact that the Serbian Armed Forces host the forum this year. This meeting is an opportunity to discuss most modern training and its quality, improvements and application of new technologies in training and lots of other issues in order to better accomplish the functions of commanding support – emphasized General Diković, telling to the assembled senior non-commissioned officers that they should be the closest partners to their commanders, the best soldiers in rank, to give proposals to the commander, and properly direct soldiers and non-commissioned officers thus actively building up the capabilities of their armed forces.
He said that to know the personnel, to take care of them and help them, and above all the training, order and discipline must be in the focus of everyday duties of senior non-commissioned officers.

- For that reason the Chiefs of General Staff consider it very important to hear your opinions, proposals and that speaks sufficiently about the significance of this forum and senior non-commissioned officers of our armies – highlighted General Diković adding that he expects that this year forum will be marked by practical and animated discussions and that the conclusions will be in the function of further strengthening of non-commissioned corps and stronger cooperation and friendship.

The hosts of this year forum are senior SAF non-commissioned officer Sergeant Major Milojko Milosavljević and senior non-commissioned officer of the SAF General Staff Sergeant Major Zoran Laštro, while the participants are the representatives of the armed forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Macedonia, Germany, Romania, United States of America, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, as well as the representatives of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

Speaking about the importance of the Forum of senior non-commissioned officers Sergeant Major Milosavljević remarked that this is the biggest meeting of senior non-commissioned officers of Central and South-East Europe organized for the first time in our country.

- We have a possibility of exchanging experiences with colleagues from the region regarding a professional development of non-commissioned officers, and the way of evaluating the training skills of our soldiers and non-commissioned officers. We will also exchange the experiences as a kind of support to non-commissioned officers during transition of professions from military to civilian ones, and above all we will use this opportunity to inform them about our country and historical monuments of this region – emphasized Sergeant Major Milosavljević adding that colleagues from other armed forces will, within the Forum, be in a position to see the training of our soldiers and non-commissioned officers.

The meeting was attended by the Head of the Department of Human Resources of the SAF General Staff, General Major Slađan Đorđević, as well as Commander of the Second Army Brigade Brigadier General Marinko Pavlović.
During two-day forum the participants will be in a position to attend demonstration exercises at the automobile race-track “Beranovac“ and “Ribnica“ Barracks in Kraljevo.