MOSCOW, 25 September (BelTA) – Representatives of Serbia will step up participation in the joint combat training of military forces (collective forces) of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in 2018. The relevant agreement was reached as CSTO Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov met with Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin in Moscow on 25 September, BelTA has learned.
The CSTO secretary general noted that they manage to keep up the high dynamics of contacts between the CSTO and Serbia virtually at all levels. “Trust and mutual understanding are growing stronger,” he stated. “Serbia is a valuable and important partner for us. I think that at this stage we will have to focus our attention on practical aspects of our interaction.” In particular, Yuri Khachaturov stated that the CSTO had already started working on regulatory documents that would become the legal foundation to allow Serbian military personnel to participate in CSTO wargames.
In turn, the Serbian defense minister confirmed the intention to send observers to the forthcoming CSTO army exercise Vzaimodeistvoye 2017 [Interaction], which will involve the collective rapid response forces, and the exercise Nerushimoye Bratstvo 2017 [Unbreakable Brotherhood], which will involve the CSTO peacemaking forces. The two wargames will take place in Armenia and Kazakhstan in October. “Although Serbia pursues a military neutrality policy, we believe that the CSTO and its member states are our strategic partners, with which we are interested in advancing cooperation,” said Aleksandar Vulin.
Personnel training using curricula of the basic education institutions of the Collective Security Treaty Organization was also discussed. It was noted that the participation of Serbian representatives in science and practice events, training courses held at premises of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian army will also help expand cooperation. The events are scheduled to take place in 2017-2018 under the CSTO aegis.
The Serbian defense minister remarked that Serbia thinks highly of the CSTO international youth forum, which will take place at premises of a military university in Belgrade on 18-21 October. “The CSTO youth forum is a very important event. It will be held in a country, which is not a CSTO member but a good partner of your organization. It indicates the CSTO's openness and your organization's ability to communicate with all the countries, which are interested in cooperation with the organization,” stressed the Serbian defense minister.
