Ministry of defence Republic of Serbia
 
29.12.2013.

Minister's interview to Politika daily



INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK : Nebojsa Rodic , Defence Minister

Serbia is not sliding into NATO

There are more soldiers on voluntary military service, we will open barracks in Zrenjanin and Požega . - No agreement with NATO regarding the radar in Kopaonik

Many were surprised recently to see Defence Minister Nebojsa Rodic in delegation of the Serbian government , which went to Leposavici and which agreed upon integration of the Serbian MUP in Kosovo police to the north of the province will be under the command of the Serbian regional commander . However , for those who know him , it was not new - this unimposing official goes to Kosovo quite often, both officially or privately .

"On the last St. Sava day I was in Prizren , which to me feels as Jerusalem ," says Rodic , who at that time was the director of the BIA .
It's true what they say about him – he calls meetings even at six in the morning .

The official apartment which by function is allocated to the Minister of Defence is not used, but he rather placed the apartment at Major General Ranko Zivic’s disposal, the commander of the Air Force , who despite the high position which he served up to that point still has no flat of his own. He implemented strict economic measures – traveling expenses reimbursements are lower than in other segments of the state administration , traveling in Europe are limited to 48 , and in the former Yugoslavia to 24 hours. He managed to persuade French defense minister Jean le Iv Drian , who has not explicitly accepted the invitation to visit Serbia next year , on the centenary of the First World War to promise he would visit Serbia when he said that France had just been the thesis of his high school graduation work. With his Croatian counterpart Kotromanovic he agreed that the Serbian divers be allowed to go to the Adriatic for training sessions, while Croatian paratroopers are to take part in joint training of the 63 Parachute Battalion in Nis .
Minister Rodic devotes one third of his work time to solving complex problems related to military property , but he nevertheless desires to save resources to build barracks in Zrenjanin and Požega . He rarely gives interviews , but he has accepted to give an interview to Politika daily regarding international military cooperation and current issues the Defense Ministry is facing .

Is Serbia slowly "sliding" towards NATO - which is why the military cooperation with NATO countries is far more intense than with Russia or other countries outside the alliance ?

I think it that a completely false image has been created and is being perpetuated in the public on the issue of cooperation between Serbia and the North Atlantic alliance , particularly from the point , as you phrased it, " that Serbia is gently 'sliding ' into NATO." European integration are one of the most important priorities of the Government of Serbia , and within these integration issues related to the security of Serbia , as widely understood, have a very important place .

But neither is Serbia’s " slipping " in NATO , nor is its co-operation with the Russian Federation , on all issues , including in relation to defense and security issues , in the form of lower priority and intensity, quite on the contrary . The fact that we institutionalize cooperation and actively participate in the European Defence Agency (EDA ) , does not mean that we have deviated from our basic , strategic orientation either- and that's neutrality in relation to the existing military alliances .

However , according to our European foreign policy orientation as a whole , as a national priority of the highest order – the Ministry of Defence in its activities contributes to the process of joining the European Union armed forces and to Serbia meeting all the necessary conditions to complete this strategic work faster and more effectively. In this respect our current involvement in eight peacekeeping missions around the world should be taken into consideration , including six in UN forces and 2 in crisis management in the framework of the European Union force .

Much has been said about the acquisition of modern aircraft " MiG 29 M/M2 ". Ho far have we come with this project?

The final decision on the purchase of multipurpose aircraft for the Army of Serbia is a great and very serious strategic project . It is true that the plane "MIG 29M/M2 " is one of the multi-purpose aircraft whose characteristics meet the needs of our Air Force and whose purchase is considered . This is an ongoing process, it has its phases , its binding dynamics , and I think that will be implemented in light of the conversation we had with Mr. Shoigu , during his recent visit to Serbia .

The media reported on the creation of a joint air defense of the region . Is restoring the military radar to Kopaonik a topic that has com3e up in talks with the representatives of the NATO?

Ministry of Defence participated as an observer at the outset of the initiative " Balkan Regional Approach for the construction of joint air defense capabilities " (Balkans Regional Approach to Air Defence - Braad ) in 2010 under the auspices of the International Secretariat of NATO. The initiative is the result of joint efforts of NATO and partner countries aimed at capacity building of the Balkan countries in the field of air defense. The essence of the initiative is the consolidation of individual procurement radar equipment to interested countries of the Balkans , with the goal of medium-term modernization of air defense assets in view of substantial reduction in procurement costs because of its quantity. The interest for the purchase of radar equipment has been expressed by Bosnia and Herzegovina , Montenegro and Macedonia . Given the fact that Serbia is negotiating with Russia on the modernization of Air Force , where in addition to the aircraft involved missile systems and other equipment are planned to be purchased the Ministry of Defence is not interested in the purchase of radar equipment within the program Braad .

It is important to note that this is by no means seen as a weakening of Serbia's support to strengthening regional cooperation, in which we , on the contrary, have invested new efforts. Restoring the radar on Kopaonik is the topic of discussion with NATO , but a mutually acceptable solution has yet to be found .

Has the Ministry of Defence noted some irregularities or criminal offenses with respect to major procurement system as something the newspapers have insinuated in the last few years?

According to the Ministry of Defence , during the process of procurement of telecommunications equipment for integrated communication system , in 2007 we had suspicions that certain procedures had been violated and non-compliance with prescribed conditions for the purchase . The case was submitted to the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade in order for the case to be prosecuted. It is clear that the Ministry of Defence will not tolerate any violations of the law nor will there be protected persons if their responsibility is determined.

Are you satisfied with the current state of the military service and are we facing the danger of weakening our defence system due to a decreased number of soldiers being trained in comparison to earlier times?

This issue was resolved by the Decision of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia on the suspension of compulsory military service , on 1 January 2011 , which prescribes that the military service be done on a voluntary basis. Let me emphasize that we are more than satisfied with the number of volunteers and are already thinking about increasing the number of annual calls for service, instead of the current two per year , as well as increasing the number of people called to service at one time referral . I am sure that next year there will be twice as many volunteers as this year . What is especially important is that the Serbian Army has , in addition to the brigade professional composition , developed a territorial brigade , according to the legal provisions of the fulfillment of the obligations of defense. In addition, this year conducted an ambitious training plan of the reserve force , with almost 100 % turnout , so the professionalization of the military defense of the country 's readiness is not compromised.

You served as the director of the Security Intelligence Agency for a little more than a year and there were no objections to your work . How did it come about that, just as you had got accustomed to the function that you were appointed minister of defence?

The offer to become the minister of defense was to me a sign of deep confidence by the First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic when he proposed that I should take his place. Of course, this went hand in hand with the President Nikolic’s trust in me as the supreme commander of the armed forces of the Republic of Serbia. This is not all about honor and trust but about responsibility and obligation , as , after all, of everyone at their workplace . Everyone has to fulfill what is expected of them in this situation when we all need to work wholeheartedly to make Serbia better .

You are said to be a Scandinavian type of politician - to come to work very early, and on a bike?

I do not know if this categorization and typology is true, maybe I am a Serbian politician of Scandinavian type - if these are the only parameters .Of course, I am not being serious but the other thing you mentioned is true. I come to work very early , long before the official working hours in public administration , not because I want to earn political points , or because I want to hear the minister works longer hours than prescribe by the Ordinance on the working time but that is my biorhythm and in the morning I like to work out all the details , specify , schedule , to be fully prepared . As far as the bike - that I often comes to work by bicycle , I am doing it primarily for my health. This job involves a lot of sitting , discussions , negotiations , arrangements and planning , one does not have time to exercise , so riding a bike comes in handy .I have done it before, I have been doing it for decades , and I see no reason to change my habits now. I want to ride the bike as long as possible.
Milan Galović

ANTERFILE

The war in Syria is not just a regional crisis


In Lebanon , where we have the biggest contingent of our forces, on the border with Israel, there was an incident in which an Israeli soldier was killed . In Mali, where we have sent troops to the EU mission , a suicide attack has killed two peacekeepers . Are you concerned about the safety of our troops in these missions ?

We share the concern over the situation in Syria , primarily because of the casualties and the displacement of millions of people inside and outside of its territory , which from the standpoint of global security , as this is not only as issue of immigrants and people fleeing the horrors of war , is a significant security threat and risk . Possible escalation of the conflict , with unforeseeable consequences for the region is also a matter of concern which would be a more serious threat to the security , not only at the regional level . As for our contingent in Lebanon , members of the Serbian Armed Forces are not yet endangered , and there are precise and detailed procedures , and the United Nations and the Army of Serbia , for the timely response to this situation, so their security is constantly under full supervision . However , we should never forget that the fanatics and extremists know no nationality, for them there is only destruction.

 
MOD
Ministry of defence Republic of Serbia, Bircaninova 5 street, Belgrade
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