Ministry of defence Republic of Serbia
 
05.07.2015.

The Serbian Armed Forces in the EU military-advisory mission in CAR



Members of the Serbian Armed Forces (SAF) and the Ministry of Defence will participate in the forthcoming period, at the invitation of EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, in the EU military advisory mission in the Central African Republic, according to the spokesman of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces Lieutenant Commander Jovan Krivokapic .

"The participation of SAF in building and maintaining peace in the region and the world as a part of the multinational operations is the second mission of SAF, which is based on the assessment of the security and defence situation, on the basis of the National Security Strategy and Defence Strategy of Serbia. Engagements in multinational operations put Serbia among equals partners of UN and EU member states in preserving and building peace in the region and in the world, " Krivokapic told Beta Agency.

He reminded that the National Assembly had recently adopted the Annual Plan for the use of SAF and other defence forces in multinational operations in 2015, which provided the deployment of up to 670 members of the Ministry of Defence and SAF in 19 UN and EU multinational operations, including the EU mission in the Central African Republic.

He stressed that Serbia was currently the leader in the region and eighth in Europe by the number of deployed soldiers in peacekeeping missions of the United Nations.

"We currently have 336 MoD and SAF members deployed in ten UN and EU missions, from Congo, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Central African Republic, Lebanon, the Middle East, Cyprus to Somalia and Mali. The Annual Plan has allowed for deployment in other missions in which we are not currently engaged as well, " Krivokapic said.

According to him, based on the signed memorandum of understanding with the UN, Serbia had become one of the countries that are in the system of stand-by arrangements to send additional troops to UN peacekeeping missions.

"This means that, based on the assessment that more peacekeepers need to be deployed for a mission, the UN can call on Serbia to send its representatives. The EU missions also operate on the principle of invitation, and our participation in the EU mission in the Central African Republic, which is included in the Annual Plan for deployment in multinational operations in 2015 is realized based on the invitation that was sent to Serbia by EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Federica Mogherini", Krivokapic said, adding that MoD and SAF members had already participated in all preparatory conferences for this EU mission.

As he pointed out, engagement in multinational operations and experiences that the MoD and SAF members acquire in the field were of an "invaluable importance for the improvement of the defence system."

"Working in a multinational environment and experiences from the field promote interoperability of SAF units and encourage all its members to continue participating in these missions. Foreign armies with which we are engaged in peacekeeping missions accept the Serbian soldier as a responsible, honourable and remarkable professional. No Serbian peacekeeper has returned from a mission without a medal earned in it, " Krivokapic added.

Beta Agency

 
MOD
Ministry of defence Republic of Serbia, Bircaninova 5 street, Belgrade
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