Serbia, NATO improve military co-operation

Military-to-military co-operation with NATO includes training and strengthening the Serbian Armed Forces' capacities for peacekeeping missions. [AFP]

Serbia, NATO improve military co-operation

Co-operation with the Alliance will help Serbia modernise its defence system and improve the country's military capabilities.

Military-to-military co-operation with NATO includes training and strengthening the Serbian Armed Forces' capacities for peacekeeping missions. [AFP]

Although Serbian politicians have decided to remain military neutral, the most developed segment of Belgrade's bilateral relations with NATO is military-to-military co-operation, which has increased since Serbia joined the Alliance's Partnership for Peace Programme in December 2006.

The co-operation is comprehensive and includes training and exercises, strengthening capacities for peacekeeping missions, humanitarian assistance, education, medicine and exchange of information.

"Last year, Serbia conducted more than 100 defence-related events with NATO and far more than that bilaterally with NATO allies and with other members of the Partnership for Peace programme," Grant Morrow, a political officer at the US Embassy in Belgrade, said during a recent public discussion about improvements in NATO-Serbia relations, organised by the Centre for Euro-Atlantic Studies in Belgrade.

"The Alliance sees Serbia as an important member of the Partnership for Peace Programme, and recently we have signed a new agreement which is to promote co-operation in terms of issues in mutual interest," Allied Joint Forces Command Naples Commander Admiral Mark Ferguson told Belgrade daily Danas during his recent visit to Serbia. The co-operation between the Serbian military and NATO has been mutually beneficial in many different ways. "Together, Serbian and NATO forces have honed their skills and learned to operate alongside one...

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