28.10.2014.
Meeting of Minister of Defence and Head of the General Staff of Italy
Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic and Head of the General Staff of the Republic of Italy Admiral Luigi Binelli Mantelli agreed that the bilateral relations between Serbia and Italy are stable and traditionally friendly. Establishing strategic partnership during the Summit in 2009 in Rome supported the improvement of cooperation in all fields, and Italy is one of the main partners and leading investors in Serbian economy. During the meeting, mention was also given to current political security issues in the region and in the world.Minister of Defence thanked the Government of the Republic of Italy for its help during the floods, and for the country’s support in the EU integration process.
Gasic and Mantelli stressed that cooperation in the field of defence is excellent and is mainly focused on education and staff advancement, intelligence-reconnaissance activities, military-to-military and military medical cooperation. They also discussed modalities of future cooperation. They stressed the significance of bilateral defence consultations which will take place in December in Rome, when the Cooperation Plan for the next year will be devised.
- Present joint participation in multinational operations and the beginning of joint deployment of our platoon for securing forces within the
Italian contingent in the West Sector in UNIFIL mission in Lebanon will present the pinnacle of cooperation and mutual trust of the two Ministries – Bratislav Gasic stressed.The two interlocutors concluded that the good cooperation between the Armed Forces of Serbia and KFOR is a guarantee of security of Serbian citizens in Kosovo and Metohija. Members of the Italian Armed Forces are one of the largest contributors in KFOR and EULEX formations.
Minister of Defence and the Head of the Italian General Staff discussed the regional military cooperation, deployment in UN and EU multinational operations and cooperation in the frames of the EU Common Security and Defence Policy.
Minister Gasic officially invited Minister of Defence of Italy Roberta Pinotti to visit Serbia in the course of the next year.
PHOTOGALLERY
VIDEOGALLERY- The meeting [FLV]
