Gasic meets with Slovakia's Kalinak

BELGRADE - Serbian Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic met with Slovak Deputy PM and Defence Minister Robert Kalinak in Belgrade on Monday to discuss the political and security situation in the region and globally, as well as opportunities for deepening Serbia-Slovakia defence cooperation.

Gasic said regular and intensive bilateral political dialogue at the highest level further contributed to development of overall bilateral cooperation, the Serbian MoD said in a statement.

He thanked Slovakia for its principled position of non-recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of the so-called Kosovo.

He noted that regional stability was a strategic interest of Serbia, which he said was committed to peaceful resolution of all issues through dialogue with Pristina with a view of ensuring better life to all citizens in the Autonomous Province of Kosovo-Metohija while protecting its sovereignty and territorial integrity and fully respecting UNSCR 1244.

Speaking about the situation in Kosovo-Metohija, Gasic said a series of unilateral moves by the provisional self-government authorities in Pristina, accompanied by an increase in the number of ethnically motivated incidents targeting the Serb population, were a cause of enormous concern and posed a threat to a continuation of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.

He also thanked Slovakia for its strong support for Serbia on the EU integration path.

Gasic noted that the MoD and the Serbian Armed Forces were committed to advancement of defence cooperation with Slovakia, with emphasis on cooperation in military education, stepping up military-to-military cooperation and advancement of cooperation in military technology.

Kalinak said Slovakia stood by its firm and principled position on the preservation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia.