The Serbian army has canceled about 200 military actions with foreign military forces, including eight major international maneuvers. This was stated by the country's defense minister, Aleksandar Vulin, reports TASS.
“In the next six months, there were eight exercises with representatives of other armies in the world. Of these eight, four were planned with the armies of the East, and four – with the armies of the West, ”the agency quoted the minister as saying.
It is noted that over the past year, Serbia held 17 military exercises, of which four were with the participation of Russia, and 13 with the participation of NATO countries.
Earlier in September, it became known that the European Union demanded that the Serbian state abandon the exercises “Slavic Brotherhood”, which will be held in Belarus. The six-month suspension of all military actions was a response to this pressure and “the only way to remain neutral.”
The exercises “Slavic Brotherhood” will be held on the territory of Belarus from 10 to 15 September. After them, Belarus will take part in the Kavkaz-2020 strategic command-staff exercises in Russia.
Since March 2012, Serbia has been a candidate for accession to the European Union. The main conditions for joining the alliance are called a series of economic reforms, changes in the field of strengthening the rule of law, the development of an independent judiciary, protection of freedom of speech, as well as the normalization of relations with Kosovo.