Serbia-Denmark military cooperation plan

10 January 2011 | 15:47 | Source: Tanjug

BELGRADE -- Representatives of the Serbian and Danish ministries of defense signed Monday in Belgrade a bilateral military cooperation plan for 2011. The Serbian and Danish defense ministers in Belgrade on Monday (Beta) Reports said that it "encompasses 30 activities". In the presence of the defense ministers of both countries, Dragan Šutanovac and Gitte Lillelund Bech, the document was signed by representatives of the Serbian and Danish ministries, Milorad Perić and Kristian Fischer. Perić told reporters that the agreement pledges Danish Defense Ministry support to the Serbian air force in training for search and rescue missions. According to him, Denmark will also help with the logistics training of the Serbian defense system members for participation in peacekeeping operations. Perić added that Denmark will also finance the education of one Serbian officer at the regional center for peacekeeping operations in Sarajevo. Denmark's Defense Minister Gitte Lillelund Bech said in Belgrade on Monday, after a meeting with her Serbian colleague Dragan Šutanovac, that Denmark supported Serbia in its EU integration, and stressed the Serbia's significance for security in the Balkans. The two ministries have a very good level of cooperation, but there is still room for improvement, she stated. She noted she was pleased the two ministries signed the 2011 military cooperation agreement earlier on Monday. Šutanovac noted the visit was a historical one since no other defense minister from Denmark had ever visited Serbia before. According to him, they discussed peacekeeping operations during the meeting. Denmark has recognized the significance of Base Jug, near the southern Serbian town of Bujanovac, which should to become a regional training center for peacekeeping operations. The cooperation between the two ministries is very good, he noted, adding that the Danish Defense Ministry had donated around EUR 3.15 million to the Serbian Ministry of Defense. Šutanovac thanked Denmark for its support to Serbia's EU integration and defense.