Defence cooperation between Serbia and Cyprus will develop through the establishment of even closer relations between the two countries’ armed forces and the enhancement of military economic cooperation, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of Serbia Miloš Vucevic told CNA, ahead of his meeting with the Cypriot Defence Minister Michael Giorgallas on Monday.
According to the Serbian Defence Minister, his visit to Cyprus constitutes a continuation of intensive contacts between the ministries of defence of the Republic of Serbia and Republic of Cyprus, in alignment with the overall close and friendly relations between the two countries.
Vucevic added that he had an opportunity to meet his Cypriot counterpart in late March in the framework of the “Schuman Forum” in Brussels, when they exchanged views on current security issues in Europe and agreed that there was progress made in terms of cooperation between the two ministries.
He also said that discussions are expected to concern the security situation in the Balkans, primarily Kosovo and Metohija, in Cyprus and the Middle East, while military-to-military and military economic cooperation will also be on the agenda of the meeting.
Asked to evaluate the existing defence cooperation between the Republic of Cyprus and Republic of Serbia, as well as the future directions of the cooperation, Vucevic said that at previous meetings the Serbian side stated several times that the defence cooperation between Serbia and Cyprus made progress and that it was developed to mutual satisfaction.
He added that this is contributed by a stimulative political climate of bilateral relations, chiefly reflected in the fact that both countries stand firmly on the position of the preservation of fundamental principles of international law and mutual respect for legitimate national interests.
At the same time, Vucevic noted there is a great historical and cultural closeness and appreciation between the two peoples, which obliges the political officials to work towards the development of that cooperation and towards the deepening of that closeness.
“The future relations will be developed in already defined directions, and they will be reflected in the establishment of even closer and concrete relations between our armed forces and the development of military economic cooperation where we will seek the modalities for its further enhancement”, he stressed.
Regarding the position of the government of the Republic of Serbia in relation to recent events in Kosovo, the Serbian Defence Minister expressed first of all the gratitude of the Republic of Serbia for the principled position of the Republic of Cyprus regarding the non-recognition of "the illegal and self-proclaimed independence of our southern province Kosovo and Metohija".
He added that "the government of the Republic of Serbia is categorical in its demand that the repression carried out by the provisional institutions of Priština most immediately stop" and stressed that “the unlawful mayors in the municipalities in the north of Kosovo and Metohija and special forces of the so-called Kosovo Police must urgently withdraw in order to create conditions for the stabilisation of the situation, which is currently, security-wise, on the verge of a major escalation.”
He also called upon the international community to exert pressure on the Albin Kurti administration to fulfil the obligations that the provisional institutions of self-government in Priština have undertaken by signing the Brussels Agreement, and immediately establish the Association of Serb Municipalities.
“We believe that the starting point for all future steps towards the normalisation of relations is the fulfilment of already undertaken obligations, which Priština has been ignoring for entire decade now, without suffering any consequences for that whatsoever. That fact undermines the confidence in the authority of the international community, the European Union in particular, which is the guarantor of the Brussels Agreement”, concluded Vucevic.
Source: Cyprus News Agency