Gasic receives chief of Hellenic National Defence General Staff

BELGRADE - Serbian Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic met with the chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, Gen Dimitrios Choupis, in Belgrade on Tuesday.

"At the beginning of the meeting, Minister Gasic emphasised that defence cooperation between the two countries is good, with room for further enhancement in military-to-military and military-educational fields," the Serbian MoD said in a statement.

"He underscored that Serbia is committed to strengthening its own security, as well as regional and global security. He also emphasised that the primary security threat to Serbia comes from the secession process taking place in the territory of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo-Metohija.

The Minister of Defence thanked Greece for its principled stance on not recognising the unilaterally declared independence of the so-called Kosovo, stressing the importance of supporting Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. He also emphasised Serbia’s appreciation for the long-standing participation of Hellenic Armed Forces personnel in KFOR, given the overall situation in Kosovo-Metohija, particularly the security of the Serbian population, which is under threat.

At today’s meeting, Minister Gasic highlighted the historical closeness and strong friendship between the peoples and states of Serbia and Greece, a bond that has always been reaffirmed in difficult and challenging times.

General Choupis thanked Minister Gasic for the opportunity to meet and emphasised that continuous cooperation in the field of defence and the exchange of experiences contribute to strengthening and further developing the capabilities of both countries’ armed forces," it also said.