16.01.2015.

Minister of Defence meets the Head of the UN Office in Belgrade

Defense Minister Bratislav Gasic received a farewell call of the head of the UN Office in Belgrade Peter Due.

Gasic thanked Due for his exceptional commitment, enthusiasm and support for the development of relations between the Ministry of Defence and the United Nations, particularly in the field of engagement in the peacekeeping missions.

Cooperation with the UN is of great importance for the continuation of the reforms in the Ministry of Defence, said the Minister of Defence. The presence of UNMIK in Kosovo and Metohija is significant for Serbia and the Serbian population, because UNMIK, KFOR and other international institutions are the main guarantors of security.

Gasic and Due talked about the participation of the Serbian Armed Forces troops in the multinational operations. Currently 329 Serbian Armed Forces members are participating in seven UN missions and four EU missions. The collocutors agreed that Serbia has considerably increased its presence in the peacekeeping operations thus becoming an exporter of security.

One of the conclusions was that the military medical service is the most important strategic capacity for participation in missions. They particularly pointed out involvement of 68 persons at the medical facility role 2 at the UN Mission in the Central African Republic. Minister Gasic reminded that, under the "stand by" arrangement with the UN, Serbia has made available medical team for evacuation by air, which can be engaged in accordance with the UN needs and requirements.