03.11.2025.
International CIMIC Course
A two-week international civil-military cooperation (CIMIC) course, organized by the Civil-Military Cooperation Department (J-9) of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, has been held in Kruševac.
The course brought together members of the Serbian Armed Forces and armed forces of Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Italy, the Netherlands, North Macedonia and the United States, as well as representatives from the Ministry of the Interior’s Department for Emergency Situations, the Serbian Red Cross, the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration, and the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Belgrade.During the course, the participants were introduced to the fundamentals of civil-military cooperation in Serbia and around the world, the roles of international governmental and non-governmental organizations in providing assistance to vulnerable populations, and the experiences gained from the work of CIMIC organizations in multinational operations.
During the practical part of the training, course participants worked through a variety of tactical scenarios and visited an asylum centre in Obrenovac, where they had the chance to put into practice their skills in negotiation, communication, and working with interpreters through direct interaction with migrants from various countries.
The course provided the participants with a solid foundation for understanding the contemporary challenges of working with civilian organizations in complex operational environments. The training was conducted by a joint team of instructors from the Serbian Armed Forces and the armed forces of Italy and the Netherlands, with additional support of lecturers from the Department for Emergency Situations of the Ministry of the Interior, the Serbian Red Cross and the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration.The successful delivery of this international course strengthens the skills of SAF officers and NCOs in civil-military cooperation while also reinforcing bilateral ties with partner nations. To date, over 400 participants from the Republic of Serbia and 18 other countries have completed 16 international courses organized by the CIMIC Department (J-9).
