Vucic: Cobras a pillar of preservation of Serbia's security system

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday the Cobras (Serbian: Kobre) - a special-purpose military police unit of the Serbian Armed Forces - represented one of the pillars of the preservation of the security system of the Republic of Serbia.

Addressing the unit at a ceremony that marked its day, Vucic quoted the words of French Marshal Franchet d'Esperey that "Serbian soldiers are the most resilient in the world."

"Today, your unit is one of the pillars of the defence system, the overall fight against terrorism and the preservation of the security system of the Republic of Serbia," Vucic said, adding that the unit had had one officer and 12 NCOs at the time of its establishment on April 14, 1978 as the then Anti-Terrorist Department.

"Today, the unit has national importance, being directly subordinated to the Serbian Armed Forces chief of general staff, which gives the Cobras the institutional status that reflects their role and responsibility," Vucic said, adding that the unit would have to recruit more troops.

"There needs to be more of you, because that will further strengthen our security system and stability and peace in our country," he said.

Serbia "cannot safeguard and protect its military neutrality without great strength and huge investments," Vucic said.

"That is why we will continue to invest in you to make every child and every mother safe in our country, to be able to ensure a safe future for all of us," he noted.

Vucic pointed out that the Serbian Armed Forces must be better equipped than others in the region as Serbia was the only essentially militarily neutral country in the region.

Vucic: Serbia to be making best drones with Israel

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced on Tuesday Serbia and Israel would together be manufacturing the "best drones in this part of the world."

Responding to questions from reporters at a ceremony that marked the day of the Cobras (Serbian: Kobre), a special-purpose military police unit of the Serbian Armed Forces, Vucic said drones that were not cheap but were extremely efficient in destroying troops and armoured vehicles would be manufactured in Serbia.

"They will be Israeli drones, because they (Israel) are the best at making that. It will be a 50-50 split between us and them. That way, we get the know-how, we get innovation and we get our people who will be able to do such things in the future," he said.