20.11.2017.

Continuous strengthening of cooperation with the United Arab Emirates

Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin, who is on an official visit to the United Arab Emirates, has met with Minister of Defence of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed Ahmed Al Bawardi Al Falasi, at Abu Dhabi, today.

At the meeting, they discussed plans for enhancing defence cooperation, further development and intensification of military-economic and scientific-technical cooperation, while during the meeting with the Chief of the General Staff of the UAE, Lieutenant General Hamad Mohamed Thani Al Rumaithi, and Major General Saleh Mohamed Saleh Al Ameri, Commander of the Land Forces, they also spoke about the possibilities for carrying out joint training and exercises.

After the meetings, in a press release, Minister Vulin emphasized that the defence ministries of the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Serbia have been cooperating very fruitfully in recent years, and that they talked about the need for signing concrete agreements that will enable a larger number of members of the UAE Armed Forces to be trained in Serbia, "at our Military Academy, at appropriate courses, but also to make certain medical facilities available to them, where they can not only treat their members, but also to learn from us how to raise their knowledge to a higher level".

- The close relationship and personal relationship between our president and supreme commander of the Serbian Armed Forces, Aleksandar Vučić and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed certainly made a significant contribution to opening space for the Serbian defence industry and opening the possibility of supplying UAE Armed Forces with numerous items that are products our minds and our knowledge. And while we talked both with the Minister of Defence and the Chief of the General Staff, we could proudly and with pleasure say that our army is extremely appreciated and that Serbia is very well talked about here.

Minister Vulin pointed out that the UAE is very interested in testing the Nora B-52 155 mm self-propelled howitzer, which is scheduled for tomorrow on the artillery firing range.

- This is one of the best products of the Serbian defence industry and certainly something which draws great attention in the world market. Tomorrow we will show our hosts how Nora works, we will show what its precision is, what its speed is, what its technological innovations made by our experts are, and I really hope that we will once again be able to show everyone what Serbian mind and Serbian knowledge can offer to the world.

Responding to a journalist's question on the relations between the UAE and Serbia, Minister Vulin said that we are very inclined to put aside nations that are not geographically close to us, not thinking of them as potential partners.

- A new leadership has come in the Republic of Serbia and, in the first place, a personal relationship between President Aleksandar Vučić and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. After their talks and the beginning of mutual cooperation, our two countries began to make much more. Here, indeed, Serbia has an open door at every step, and here they know about the personal relationship between the President of Serbia and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed and Serbia is considered as an exceptionally friendly country. This proves to you how politicians are able to open doors to the economy and to all those who need it and can take advantage of what Aleksandar Vučić did in his direct relationship with Sheikh Bin Zayed.

Minister Aleksandar Vulin and the delegation of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces visited today the Military Memorial Center in Abu Dhabi, and tomorrow they will attend the testing of the Nora B-52 self-propelled howitzer on the artillery firing range.