Интервју министра одбране за магазин Курир на енглеском језику THE SERBIAN ARMY WORKS ON THREE FRONTS The most important task of the Serbian Army was to help the people in the areas affected by the devastating foods.The army evacuated more than 10.000 people from these vulnerable areas. The Army of Serbia has gone through great trials in the previous period and has proven that it is a power worthy of respect and is for great deeds. Besides the existing problems, since I took office weve had to work simultaneously on three fronts at the Serbian Army in order to fulfil all the tasks. The most important task of the Serbian Army was to help the people confronted by the devastating fioods, the consequences of which we still have not fully perceived. The army evacuated more than 10,000 people from these vulnerable areas, then worked on deconlamination of the territory, cleaning public areas and removing thousands of tons of bulky waste. With these words Kurir Magazines interview began with Bratislav Gašić, defence minister, who continued: - In parallel with this, we have implemented four complex exercises, with which we have shown that the Serbian Аrmу is an organized, strong and reliable force for the defence of the country. The exercises Plavi Odgovor (Blue Response), Grom (Thunder) and Ravanica, which were organized with a large number of members, showed that we are welltrained and efficient when it comes to the use of force in combat operations. Within the intemational environment we had the highest grades in completing the Platinum Wolf exercise, in which Serbian soldiers practised alongside U.S. Marines and members of the armed forces of Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania and Azerbaijan. The greatest success in the third mission, from the time I was appointed defence minister, was preparing to send our troops to Lebanon, where they replaced existing Serbian peacekeepers in the UNIFIL mission. What are the biggest problems in the defence svstem at present? - Equipping the Air Force with new fighter planes and acquiring complex combat systems. And despite our modest possibillties, this issue will be resolved at the state level in the next period That is not an easy task at all, but we will not give up on it I emphasise that recent events also confirmed that we are justified in our efforts to work on modernisation, despite the difficulties, with the means at our disposal. Thats why this уеаг we will have considerable investments in infrastructure. What are you satisfled with? - With the people, primarily! In the Army there are a large number of professionals who are dedicated to their work. Proof of this is the fact that Serbian soldiers are ready at all times to go wherever they are expected by the state and the nation. Help during the floods was just one example of that great sacriflce and I think that we passed the Serbian citizens test of skill, endurance and courage. How is the Serbian Army rateđ in the region? - The Army of Serbia is a respectable force within the regional framework. At the same time, it is also a factor of stability. Our goal is to develop a perspective of peace and prosperity in the region, | through cooperation and strengthening i trust, in order to secure the business and economic recovery of Serbia, the creation of which should speed up our process of catching up with the world. How much is allocated from the budget for the military and what is the situation in the region like in this respect? - From the budget we receive around 1.5 per cent of GDP, which is a quarter less than the projected amount that the National Assembly of Serbia adopted in 2011. The crisis led to a reduction in expenditure in our country and elsewhere in the region. We share the fate of the citizens and very responsibly spend every реппу we get from the state budget. This practice exists in the region and beyond. The planned savings of traditional NATO allies (U.S., UK and France) also go up to 10 per cent of current spending during the уеаг. Is there апу possibility of fixing the social status of professional soldiers? - As Ive highlighted many times before, one of my priorities is also repairing the social status of employees in the defence system. From the first day I have insisted on accelerating the resolution of housing issues and there we already have results. The ministry I head takes care of its sol-diers, NCOs and officers. We strive to utilise all possibilities and Im confident that the result that we all hope for will follow. JOBS, INCOME, MODERNATION MULTIPLE BENEFITS - What exactly is significant about the signing of the contract on the South Stream? - One should consider that construction of the South Stream brings valuable investment to Serbia and creates thousands of jobs, generates income from the collection of exploitation and transport, further modernisation of power plants etc. This gas pipeline is also important for Europe, so it is not surprising that in addition to Gazprom, vvhich is the majoritv ovvner of NIS - the Oil Industrv of Serbia, the project involves numerous European companies... How many soldiers does Serbia have in peacekeeping missions and where precisely? - Serbia currentiy has 214 soldiers in eight peacekeeping missions under the aus-pices of the UN and EU. A team will soon depart to join the operation ATALANTA for the protection of ships in the Indian Ocean, while our peacekeepers are also expected to go to Mali. With that the total number of members of the Serbian Armed Forces in peacekeeping missions this уеаг will exceed 500. At this moment the MONUSCO mission in Congo has eight of our staff officers and a medical team for air evacuation. In Liberia the UNMIL mission includes four of our military observers, while in Ivory Coast, as part of UNOCI, we have three observers. In Cyprus, as part of the UNFICYP operation, 46 Serbian peacekeepers are currently engaged; in Lebanon, as part of UNIFIL, we have 146 members; in the Middle East, as part of UNTSO, we have one military observer, while in Soma-lia the EUTM and EU NAVFOR operations have four members of the Army of Serbia. How does the Serbian Armv cooperate withKFOR? - Serbian forces see in KFOR a guarantee of stability in Kosovo and a factor for the protection of the Serbian population and cultural heritage sites. As such, we implement regular meetings at various levels. At them we consider all issues relevant to the interests of peace and stability. From cooperation in the field we should single out joint patrols of the Army of Serbia and KFOR along the administrative line, which are tasked with preventing illegal border crossings, trafficking and other forms of organized crime. Does Serbia intend to expand cooperation vvith NATO or is it enough that we collaborate through the Partnership for Peace programme? - Serbias cooperation with NATO has intensified significantly with the renewal of the Group for the reform of Serbia-NATO. Moreover, it is enhanced by a series of activities aimed at increasing the defence capabilities of Serbia and raising the level of interoperability for joint work and participation in multinational operations. The Partnership for Peace programme is a sufficient framework for the advancement of cooperation with NATO, so I think we should utilise these opportunities. In what ways can the military industry help foster the countrys economic development? - The performance of the defence industry makes a significant contribution to the results of the Serbian есоnomу. In the coming period it should be made even better by improving production programmes, in-creasing the presence on the intemational market and through ambitious growth plans. The potential is huge and would enable the creation of new jobs for young professionals with the support of manufacturing in other branches of industry, which would have the overall result of a better export performance. The military industry is also open to foreign investment, joint production programmes and access to third markets. How do you svnchronise your party obligations with heading such a huge department as defence? - The idea I am devoted to as defence minister is the same as the one that guides the party I am vice president of -a better Ufe for citizens and concrete results. Success-fully leading the military departments certainly supports the good work of the government and the creation of conditions for the overall development of Serbian society. ■ CLEAR objectives IMPORTANT PARTNER RELATION Can Serbia simultaneouslv go tovvards the EU, vvhile on the other hand building f riend ly relations with Russia? - The plans and objectives of the Government of Serbia are clear and public. All Serbian representatives, led by Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić, clearly communicate them at all meetings with European, Russian and other foreign dignitaries. Serbia has friends all over the vvorld and the help we received in response to the recent floods arrived from Europe and from Russia, both from the region and the wider world. VVe will continue with this kind of policy, convinced that it is the most useful for Serbia and for a better life for its citizens. Will Serbia change its stance on Ukraine? - The stance regarding the crisis in Ukraine is part of a foreign policy whose direction is determined by the Government of Serbia. We expect understanding which so far has not been missing on this issue. In what ways can we utilise our trade agreement with Russia? - Representatives of the Government of Serbia once again showed during the recent visits of officials to Moscow how important the trade agreement with Russia is. VVe believe that, thanks to this document, the foreign trade exchange will be increased and the agreement will ensure the increased presence of our producers on the Russian market. Tekst Jelena Vukić Photo Marina Lopičić
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 13:50:39 +0000
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