31.08.2026.
Minister Gašić meets with Lebanese Defence Minister Menassa
Minister of Defence Bratislav Gašić met today with the Minister of Defence of the Lebanese Republic, Michel Menassa, who is currently on an official visit to the Republic of Serbia.
Expressing delight at the opportunity to meet and converse with Minister Menassa for the first time, Minister Gašić noted that the Lebanese minister’s visit would contribute to the development of defence cooperation and strengthening the overall relations between the two countries.At the meeting, Minister Gašić highlighted Serbia’s commitment to developing and strengthening ties with other states and military-political alliances in line with its own interest, with the aim of strengthening global, regional, and national security. He emphasised that Serbia advocates respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of all states.
Highlighting that the main security threat to the Republic of Serbia is the secession of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija, the Minister of Defence stressed that Serbia highly values Lebanon’s support for Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as its standing firm on the non-recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of the so-called Kosovo, which he assessed as an act of friendship and understanding.Minister Gašić stated that the participation of the Republic of Serbia in multinational operations is a concrete contribution to safeguarding global peace and security, and added that this is one of the priorities of the Ministry of Defence in its cooperation with the United Nations and the European Union. He said that the personnel of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces is currently deployed in four UN-led peacekeeping operations, the largest and most important deployment being the one in the United Nations’ multinational operation in the Lebanese Republic.
Minister Menassa expressed his gratitude for the reception and the opportunity to discuss matters of mutual interest, and highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation in the field of defence. He expressed his belief that today’s meeting would provide a strong basis for the development of bilateral cooperation and the further strengthening of friendly ties between Serbia and Lebanon.Also in attendance at the meeting were the Ambassador of the Lebanese Republic to Serbia, Youssef Jabre, the Deputy Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, Lieutenant General Tiosav Janković, Acting Assistant Minister for Material Resources Nenad Miloradović, and the Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence, Brigadier General Nikola Matović.
