Ambassador Branimir Filipovic, Acting Assistant Minister for Security Policy had talks with Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, who is on a visit to Belgrade as a member of the NATO delegation headed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, attending the “Srbija 2018” civil emergency field exercise.
In the talks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, views were exchanged on the development of Republic of Serbia-NATO partner cooperation, current situation in the region and Kosovo and Metohija in particular, including discharge of the KFOR mandate, and the further promotion of dialogue at all levels which would contribute to a better understanding and settlement of issues of interest for both sides.
Air Chief Marshal Peach pointed out that NATO fully respected Serbia’s commitment to pursuing a policy of military neutrality, and highly praised the partner cooperation carried out so far between Serbia and NATO at all levels. He noted that the talks with the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Army Staff were very substantive and productive and that he expected them to continue in the context of common goals of the preservation of peace and stability, promotion of cooperation between NATO and the Serbian Army and the fulfilment of KFOR mandate. He underlined his willingness to use his present stint to support Serbia-NATO partner cooperation as much as possible.
Ambassador Filipovic underscored that our side was open to consideration of all issues in the common interest, pointed out the extraordinarily high dynamic of the dialogue between Serbia and NATO at both the top and other civilian and military levels, as well as concrete partner cooperation programmes, while also emphasizing Serbia’s foreign policy priorities and key security policy issues. The Ambassador stressed in particular the importance of protection of Serbs and their cultural and religious heritage in Kosovo and Metohija, and the key role played by KFOR both in this context and in securing peace and stability in the Province.
The talks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were preceded by the meeting of Air Chief Marshal Peach with Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin and with the Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Milan Mojsilovic.