29.11.2014.

Workshop about international military cooperation and multinational operations

In organization of the Public Relations department of the Ministry of Defence and the Embassy of the United Kingdom, a two-day workshop is being held in Zrenjanin, titled “International Military Cooperation and Multinational Operations”. The workshop includes over 20 representatives of press and electronic media.

According to Head of the Public Relations department Colonel Petar Boskovic, the goal of the workshop is to create a two-way communication between the Ministry of Defence of Serbia and the media.

He stressed that the idea behind the workshop was for the media to get the real image of the resource ministry, but also for the members of the defence system to create a personal relation with journalists.

- During the panels, the second mission of the Armed Forces of Serbia will be presented, that is the deployment of our members in peacekeeping missions.

The idea is for the panels to provide as much knowledge on the topic as possible, Colonel Boskovic said, and added that the subject of peacekeeping operations is very important, having in mind the fact that Serbia slowly “returns to the world scene of peacekeeping missions” and that around 500 soldiers will be deployed in 2015.

Defence attaché of the United Kingdom in Belgrade Colonel Robert Tomlinson stated that the UK Ministry of Defence sees Serbia as a significant factor for peace and stability in the region.

- We appreciate the fact that Serbia has 500 peacekeepers around the world, which means that you have done an amazing work – Tomlinson said, stressing that the money that the United Kingdom invests in the reform of the defence system is mostly spent on achieving medical cooperation, training of Serbian officers in that country, English lessons for SAF members, and other.

Tomlinson also looked back on the military’s cooperation with the media, stressing that mutual respect and trust are the key to success, and pointed to the change of the stance of the defence system – from being hostile and closed several years ago, to today’s cooperation and understanding.

- If you don’t trust the media and don’t cooperate with them, they can destroy you and the military’s reputation when something bad happens, and something bad is bound to happen in the military sooner or later – Tomlinson explained, adding that the media’s and military’s task is not to be friends, but to build a relationship that will help the media reach the truth and point to the military’s responsibility, and to inform the public about that in the best way.

Colonel Katarina Strbac, PhD from Strategic Research Institute of the Ministry of Defence spoke about international military cooperation and practices from the process of European integrations, stating that crisis management is a mechanism that should be developed in the armed forces, especially when it comes to crisis management in multinational operations.

During the seminar, mention was also given about the experience of the Armed Forces of Serbia from the Partnership for Peace Program, about the voluntary nature of participation in activities of the program and its benefits when it comes to building operative capabilities of the Serbian Armed Forces, about the help in training, education, arms and military equipment, building military infrastructure…

Representatives of the media were also addressed by Colonel Goran Desancic from the Planning and development Department of the General Staff of Serbia, Colonels Milorad Vidakovic and Milan Radovanovic from the Operational Matters Department of the General Staff and Colonel Atanasios Pagkalos from NATO Military Liaison Office in Serbia.

The next day, participants of the panel will be Colonel Nikola Dejanovic from the Center for Peacekeeping Operations of the General Staff of Serbia, Lieutenant Colonel Vasilije Vanja Bosnjak, MD, from Military Hospital Novi Sad, Major Vladan Stanic from the Department for International Military Cooperation of the Ministry of Defence, Major Branislav Stevanovic from the Center for Training Units for Multinational Operations at South Base and Captain Slobodan Zikic, Deputy Company Commander at the multinational operation in Lebanon, who will speak about deployment of SAF members in UN and EU multinational operations.

At the panel about crisis communications and experience and practices in communicating via social networks, lectures will be given by Colonel Boskovic and representatives of the Public Relations Department Danijela Marjanovic and Majors Zoran Bobar and Jovan Krivokapic.