16.06.2014.

Defence Minister receives the Ambassador of USA

Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic met with the USA Ambassador Michael Kirby. Thanking for the help and support we received during the floods in the Republic of Serbia, Minister Gasic pointed out that intensifying all sorts of professional and material help also contributes to enhancing the entire bilateral relations between the two countries.

Gasic and Kirby agreed that, for its quantity and quality, the bilateral military cooperation is still the most developed part of entire relations between Serbia and USA. Defence Minister thanked for the donations in the scope of the FMF Program (Foreign Military Financing) and GPOI Program (Global Peacekeeping Operations Initiative) whose goal is to modernize and provide better equipment for the Armed Forces of Serbia. The American Ambassador particularly underlined the significance of support for the European integrations of Serbia, for regional cooperation and improvement of military economic cooperation.

The meeting also included talks on the importance of developing and providing equipment for the Military Base “Jug” that should start working with full capacities from 2015, as well as the Regional International Unit Training and Multinational Operation Center.

A project that further contributes to the quality of cooperation between Serbia and USA is joint deployment of medical teams of the Armed Forces of Serbia and of the Ohio National Guard during exercises of humanitarian nature. Mutual assessment is that projects like Humanitarian Assistance are of great importance for establishing friendly relations of the two countries. Minister Gasic announced that the next project of the Humanitarian Assistance is planned to take place in Bujanovac Municipality. On that occasion, as he pointed out, members of the Serbian Armed Forces and the Ohio National Guard will renovate one preschool institution and a school for elementary musical education. “We are aware of the complexity of procedures for granting means for such projects, but, for us, initiating such an engagement on one of the municipalities damaged during the disastrous floods would be invaluable”, Defence Minister concluded.