"In case of war, Serbia would be respected for its strength"

Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin told this to Tanjug on Thursday.

"NATO unconditionally respects our neutrality, just as does the Collective Security Treaty Organization is (CSTO), the Russian Federation and all other countries, but one of the reasons why it is respected and why in some future conflicts it would be respected is the strength of our army," Vulin said.

Asked whether the military neutrality of Serbia would be respected "in the event of an open conflict," the minister said that if the country was strong enough to stand behind its decision, withstand it and oppose anyone who thinks they can turn that military neutrality into the backing of one side - then neutrality would be truly respected.

"If you are weak, if you have no ability to stand behind your own decision and guarantee for it with your own strength, then your neutrality is not respected, then everyone will take from you, or from your country, what they need. This way, we will be militarily neutral, in any sort of world conflict we would remain militarily neutral, and everyone would respect our neutrality because it would make no sense to make a powerful enemy out of Serbia, especially when we are not that to anyone," Vulin said.

Serbia has no reason to fear anyone as its policy and behavior have not caused anybody's reaction, the minister continued, and added that this was why he "believes it would be really hard to find a reason for someone to enter a conflict with our country."

"Times have also changed since the NATO aggression (on Serbia), global circumstances have changed, I'm not sure that anyone can even think about attacking Serbia - and why, after all, would they," the minister said.

He observed, however, that there are ...