Vucic: I will request gov't to consider relaunching of exercises with NATO

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday that, as commander-in-chief of the Serbian Armed Forces, he would request that the Serbian government consider deciding in favour of relaunching joint military exercises with NATO.

Vucic announced this at a press conference after meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Belgrade.

"We had a discussion and reached an agreement today and, as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, I will submit a request to the government of Serbia to consider, in the coming period, deciding in favour of relaunching the holding of joint exercises with NATO, which we have had in the past also with other partners," Vucic said.

He said it was important that people in Serbia understood that Belgrade fully agreed with NATO that its mandate was based on UNSCR 1244.

"That is why we welcome the presence of NATO and Kfor troops and want even greater presence. We have no problem with that whatsoever, but we do have a problem with the political interpretation coming from many Western countries," Vucic said, adding that the cooperation with NATO was fair and good.