Gasic receives Ohio National Guard commander

BELGRADE - Serbian caretaker Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic met on Wednesday in Belgrade with Ohio National Guard Commander Maj-Gen Matthew Woodruff, noting that Serbia and the US are connected by nearly 150 years of diplomatic relations, as well as by numerous shared values.

"During the meeting, Minister Gasic stressed the importance of the 20-year partnership with the Ohio National Guard under the State Partnership Programme," the Serbian MoD said in a statement.

Gasic noted that "a new chapter in bilateral relations between the two countries opened in June, when the first US-Serbia Strategic Dialogue was held, with the Ministry of Defence participating, indicating both countries’ commitment to expanding and deepening their partnership."

"Minister Gasic conveyed the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces’ intention to enhance bilateral defence cooperation with the United States in a way that serves both nations, and expressed his gratitude to the United States for providing assistance to Serbia’s defence system through numerous donations, trainings, exercises and other activities.

During the meeting, the Minister of Defence noted that the cooperation between the Serbian Armed Forces and the United States Armed Forces is substantive and focused primarily on achieving interoperability and modernising the Serbian Armed Forces with new military equipment.

He particularly highlighted the importance of the assistance provided by the US Armed Forces to the Serbian Armed Forces in preparing, organising and conducting Platinum Wolf exercises.

Speaking about the situation in our southern province, the Minister of Defence stressed that the issue of Kosovo-Metohija is a matter of paramount national importance for us and voiced concern about the safety of the Serbian and other non-Albanian communities," the statement said.

"Major General Woodruff stated that the Serbian Armed Forces are an important partner to the Ohio National Guard, and added that the cooperation is of vital importance for strengthening mutual understanding, trust, and professional ties between the personnel of the two militaries.

He expressed his satisfaction that the cooperation is mutually beneficial rather than one-sided, allowing both sides to exchange experiences and learn something new. He said he will attend events commemorating the historical ties between Serbia and the United States, including the ceremony marking the 82nd anniversary of Operation Halyard," it said.