Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has repeatedly affirmed that his country does not want to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for reasonable and obvious reasons, and will maintain its military neutrality.
Speaking at a military parade at Batajnica air base on March 31, Serbia's most prominent politician once again said the Balkan country's choice to stay out of NATO meant it needed to strengthen its defense capabilities.
“We have ordered several dozen more multiple launch rocket systems, which will significantly increase our firepower. But all this is not enough, because we have to take into account the special position of our country – the only militarily neutral state in this part of the world. We have to understand the challenges we are facing,” Vucic said.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic speaks during a visit to Batajnica air base, March 31, 2024. Photo: Sarajevo Times
According to the Serbian leader, his army will be significantly strengthened with new fighter jets and a focus on the country's defense industry. He said Serbia could be on par with countries like France and Germany when it comes to weapons production.
President Vucic said the Serbian defense industry needs to pay increased attention to the production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other aircraft designed for strike operations and assisting the wounded in conflict zones.
“After 20 days from now, you will be able to see the first live-fire exercise and the use of Serbian drones. This will be the first official shooting exercise, instead of training in the Serbian army,” Vucic said.
Vucic previously stated that Western countries were preventing Serbia from buying weapons and ammunition in the East. He also said that Serbia had ordered Krasukha and Repellent electronic warfare systems from Russia but had not been able to receive the goods for reasons that were not Moscow's fault.
In the Balkans, only Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina have not joined the US-led transatlantic alliance. In 1999, NATO launched a military campaign against Yugoslavia, which then consisted of Serbia and Montenegro. In 2008, with the support of the US and the West, Kosovo unilaterally declared independence despite Serbia's objections .
Minh Duc (According to TASS, Al Jazeera)
Source
Comment (0)