Enlargement of NATO

BRUSSELS- Serbia entered a new stage of the relations with NATO by enforcement of the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP), Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic and Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic said after the meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday.

Closer ties with NATO improve democracy in Serbia

Co-operation with NATO will benefit ordinary citizens by improving security, human rights and the capacities of independent institutions.

Serbian citizens need to be educated on the benefits of NATO co-operation, experts and officials said. [AFP]

Calls mount for NATO enlargement

Faster accession to NATO would insulate Balkan states from Russian influence, experts say.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, seen at a NATO meeting on Ukraine, aims to refocus attention on Balkan security, a Skopje analyst says. [AFP]

France: Montenegro not yet ready to join NATO

PODGORICA -- The office of French President Francois Hollande has confirmed his view that Montenegro does not fulfill conditions for NATO membership.

This is also true of other candidate-countries, it was said in Paris.

Around 750 US Army tanks and other vehicles and military equipment are already in Latvia for the so-called "Operation Atlantic Resolve" exercises with NATO partners.

The drills will continue for three months, though a US military source quoted by various media outlets argues the equipment will remain in the region even after this period.

Prime Minister Minister Milo Djukanovic on Wednesday said Montenegro expects an invitation to join NATO by the end of the year and is working hard to meet the conditions.

Commenting on the French President's statement of opposition to NATO enlargement, Djukanovic said he did not see in Francois Hollande's words any intention to revise NATO's policy towards Montenegro.

"Cooperation with NATO should reflect Serbia's needs"

BELGRADE -- Cooperation with NATO "should reflect Serbia's needs," Defense Minister Bratislav Gasic said on Wednesday as he met with a high ranking NATO official.

Experts urge closer ties between Serbia and NATO

Co-operation with NATO is the only guarantee for safety and progress in Serbia, experts and officials say.

NATO membership leads to collective defence and protection, experts said. [AFP]

BELGRADE - Cooperation with NATO should reflect Serbia's needs, Serbian Minister of Defence Bratislav Gasic said on Wednesday, adding that by participating in the Partnership for Peace program, the country is building the necessary capacities for the engagement in the UN and EU operations.

"NATO respects Serbia's military neutrality"

BELGRADE -- "We cannot change what happened in the past, but I believe that the relations between Serbia and NATO have improved," says U.S. Admiral Mark Ferguson.

"Today I can say that we are working together and moving forward," the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa added.