Serbia, NATO's goal to preserve peace, stability

BELGRADE - State Secretary in the Serbian Ministry of Defense Zoran Djordjevic and Chairman of the NATO Military Committee General Knud Bartels said Friday that Serbia and NATO's common goal is to preserve peace and stability in the Western Balkans, the Ministry of Defense released.

Djordjevic said that by adopting the Individual Partnership Action Plans (IPAP) Serbia has proved its commitment to strengthening the partnership with NATO within the Partnership for Peace program. IPAP allows for better cooperation, which should contribute to construction of interoperability of the Serbian Armed Forces (VS), when it comes to engagement in an international environment, he said.

Djordjevic also noted that Serbia is committed to a more intense engagement in multinational operations under the mandate of the UN and EU.

Djordjevic and Bartels concluded that promotion of cooperation between the VS and KFOR will be set as a priority in the next period.

They pointed out that the latest security threat in the form of actions of the so-called Islamic state is a serious threat not only for the Middle East, but also for the Euro-Atlantic area, adding that only through joint operations can all security risks and threats be confronted.