16.04.2015.

General Dikovic met with Chairman of the NATO Military Committee General Bartels

Head of the General Staff of Serbia General Ljubisa Dikovic met today with Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, General Knud Bartels at Banjica 2 barracks in Belgrade, in the course of the two-day visit to our country.

Expressing his content with the today’s meeting, General Dikovic stressed that over the past 16 years, Serbia and NATO have come a long way, from aggression and conflict to joint cooperation through the Partnership for Peace Program.

- Each point on this path is very important, but we firmly believe that the present and future cooperation between NATO and Serbia - as militarily neutral state and member of the Partnership for Peace – is a common interest of all who want to preserve peace, particularly in the Balkans – General Dikovic stressed, adding that the signing of the Individual Action Plan individual program was an important step in cooperation, which means that the Armed Forces of Serbia will develop a broad specter of its capabilities.

According to Head of the General Staff, we wish to implement best world standards in our Armed Forces in order to develop capabilities, but in a way that is not compromising Serbia’s military neutrality or its armed forces in any way. He added that the Individual Action Plan is not binding in the sense of imposing will, as we choose the goals.

- We expect a special benefit for the Serbian Armed Forces from advancing practical cooperation in countering modern security challenges,

building capabilities for fighting terrorism, cyber threats, illegal migrations, and from improving energy security. Moreover, we intend to continue improving SAF capabilities for deployments in EU and UN operations across the world – General Dikovic stated, expressing gratitude to General Bartels on excellent cooperation the Armed Forces of Serbia has with KFOR, which it perceives as guarantor of security and stability in Kosovo and Metohija.

General Dikovic announced that, during today’s meeting with General Bartels, they will discuss the security situation in the region and the Balkans, security challenges and future cooperation. General Bartels, thanking General Dikovic for the invitation to visit our country, acknowledged as the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee the contribution to regional and global security through SAF’s deployments in EU and UN multinational operations, and dedication to cooperation with NATO, which is mutually beneficial.

- I hope that he adoption of the new IPAP between Serbia and NATO will lead to a significant rise in the level of understanding and possibilities for joint work, respecting Serbia’s policy of military neutrality, based on which NATO cooperates with many partners around the world – General Bartels stated.

According to him, with the Partnership for Peace Program and IPAP, NATO and Serbia can learn together by the same standards so as to prepare to provide help in every emergency situation swiftly and efficiently.

- Interoperability also brings benefit to other fields of cooperation between NATO and Serbia, such as crisis management, Building Integrity Program, medical support to peacekeeping operations, and the Science for Peace and Security Program – General Bartels stated, adding that he firmly believes in the potential of the relations between Serbia and NATO. He concluded that Serbia is, as every other country, a part of the European family and that NATO wishes to closely cooperate with our country and all our European partners.