Serbian Army Trains More With NATO Than Russia

Serbia has been involved in 116 joint military activities with NATO and 90 bilateral military activities with the United States but only 17 with the Russian Army so far in 2016, the defence ministry told BIRN.

Military expert Aleksandar Radic told BIRN that this is well-known in military circles but local media are more interested in reporting on cooperation with Russian forces.

"Serbian media are often using spin in order to attract attention. They did the same with talk about a Russian military base in [the southern city of] Nis, which was not true… that is not a military base, but a classic humanitarian centre without military intentions," Radic said.

"Serbia has ten times more military cooperation with the West than with Russia," he added.

The defence ministry said that the participation of Serbian Army troops at the International Military Games 2016 from July 30 until August 13 in Russia and the purchase of two Mi-17 helicopters were the most significant examples of cooperation with Moscow in 2016.

Serbia proclaimed a doctrine of military neutrality in December 2007 and the current government has announced no plans to change the policy.

However, the country is linked to NATO through the alliance's Partnership for Peace programme. In March 2015, Serbia concluded an Individual Partnership Action Plan with NATO, considered the highest level of cooperation with NATO for a non-member country.

Opinion about NATO has been deeply divided in Serbia since the Western alliance launched air strikes against the former Yugoslavia during a 78-day bombing campaign in 1999, forcing Serbia to withdraw from Kosovo. Kosovo was then placed under international administration and declared independence in 2008.

Many Serbs remain bitter...