13.03.2014.

Intensifying cooperation with the Federal Republic of Germany

Nebojsa Rodic, Minister of Defence in the caretaker government met today with Heinz Wilhelm, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The Minister informed his interlocutor that the Republic of Serbia, regardless of the early parliamentary elections, will continue to implement reforms with the same goals and priorities. He thanked the Federal Republic of Germany, as the key and most important EU country, for their support and understanding on the way of further European integration of the Republic of Serbia without further conditioning. He pointed out that the Republic of Serbia actively participates in all regional security initiatives, with the aim of promoting regional cooperation and the preservation of peace and prosperity in the region of Southeast Europe.

Both sides expressed their readiness for the qualitative enhancement of defence cooperation through different modalities, with an emphasis on military-to-military cooperation.

Military education, besides military medicine and preparations for deployment in multinational operations, is recognized as the most important area of cooperation between the two ministries.

Minister Rodic conveyed that the beginning of the joint commitment in the mission in Mali (EUTM Mali) is one of the priority goals of the defence policy and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Serbia. Serbia remains firmly committed to contribute by its joint engagement with the members of the German Armed Forces to solving the crisis and will do anything for an early start of a concerted action in the European Union Training Mission for military and security forces of Mali (Mali EUTM).

Ambassador Wilhelm pointed out the desire of the Federal Ministry of Defence of Germany to confirm strengthening of the overall relations between the two countries by enhancing cooperation in the field of defence. In this sense, possible joint engagement of the members of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Serbia and the Federal Ministry of Defence of Germany in the EUTM Mali would be a clear signal of enhanced partnership relation between the two countries.

At the end of the meeting, Minister Rodic, emphasizing the importance of continuity of the high-level visits, invited the German Defence Minister to visit Serbia, in order to define the strategic guidelines for cooperation.