BELGRADE – Serbia is an important partner for NATO in maintaining peace and stability, despite NATO respecting Serbia’s decision on military neutrality, it was stated during a public debate “The Concept of Military Neutrality and Serbia’s Relations with NATO”, held on Monday, organized by the Embassy of Bulgaria in Belgrade.
The Head of the NATO Liaison Office in Belgrade, Giampiero Romano, emphasized that Serbia and NATO have close cooperation in many areas, adding that this cooperation contributes to preserving peace and stability.
“Serbia is our important partner because it not only supports our goals but also works with us to promote security and stability in various areas and at different levels – political, military, and scientific”, Romanò said.
He stated that the cooperation between Serbia and NATO is progressing year by year assessing that Serbia and NATO are closer than it may seem at first glance. He highlighted that the collaboration between NATO and Serbia helps develop the political debate and build a common future.
Romano reiterated that NATO fully respects Serbia’s policy of military neutrality.
Nemanja Starović, State Secretary of the Ministry of Defense of Serbia, stated that Serbia’s military neutrality is based on the decision of the National Assembly to adopt the Resolution on the protection of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and constitutional order of the Republic of Serbia in December 2007.
“The commitment to military neutrality is a political decision to expressing the stance that the country is not interested in joining existing military alliances but will continue to develop its foreign policy relations regardless”, Starović said.
According to him, Serbia pursues its security and defense policy independently, seeking to contribute to peace and stability, resolving all disputes through peaceful political means, without the use of force.
Responding to a media question about whether the announcements of new allocations for the military and the purchase of military equipment are related to the procurements carried out by the Kosovo Security Forces (KSF), Starović said that Serbia has been actively investing in the modernization of military capabilities for the past 10 years.
“It is not serious to say that this new round of investments has any connection with the new procurements carried out by the so-called Kosovo Security Forces. We must rely on our strengths, which we are doing”, Starović stated.
Annika Ben David, the Ambassador of Sweden to Belgrade, stated that it is up to Serbia to decide whether the concept of military neutrality is sustainable for the country.
Discussing Sweden’s experience with neutrality policy but also the rapid change in this course after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine and membership to NATO, Ben David assessed that the war in Ukraine is a threat to the entire European continent, and no country is exempt from security threats.
She added that Ukraine is fighting for the peace and stability of the entire continent, as well as the defense of democracy and the rule of law as a governance model for European countries.
Austrian Ambassador to Serbia, Christian Ebner, emphasized that although Austria is militarily neutral, it acts in a spirit of solidarity with the rest of Europe.
“Oud neutrality is military, but not political and ideological. Therefore, Austria can not remain silent on human rights violations”, Ebner said, adding that changed geopolitical circumstances have led to increased funds being allocated for defense.
Speaking about the Western Balkans region, the Ambassador of Austria to Serbia emphasized that this region is of great importance for both Austria and the entire European Union.