Vucic: We have many challenges, there is major troop deployment in region

BELGRADE - Speaking to reporters after a session of the expanded Collegium of the Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday the meeting had been held to analyse all shortcomings and see what corrections needed to be made, as well as to analyse security threats and the situation in the region.

Vucic said there were many challenges and that there was major troop deployment in the region.

"We have these meetings once or twice a year to analyse all shortcomings and what we need to correct in our work, and we also analyse security threats and the situation in the region. We make certain decisions accordingly. The Serbian Armed Forces' arms and equipment are being modernised, increased in quantity and advanced," Vucic said.

He added that the Collegium was dissatisfied with troop numbers and the filling of army ranks, especially in the north of Serbia - in Belgrade and the Vojvodina province.

"We have many challenges, there is major troop deployment in the region for various reasons - from significant troops in neigbouring countries to an enormous number of NATO troops in Kosovo-Metohija - 4,534 at this time. We are counting on good cooperation with KFOR and NATO troops and we believe they will help stabiise the situation in Kosovo-Metohija. Currently, as part of the Althea mission, there are 1,500 NATO troops in Bosnia and Herzegovina that have been reinforced with something that is a novelty - strategic reserves deployed by the EU, and they are not in that territory, but in the territories of neigbouring countries - Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria. Also, we are confident they will not be used against either the Serbs or the Republic of Serbia in any way," Vucic said.