Belgrade/Washington D.C., Dec 7th, 2009 (Serbia Today) – Serbian Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac said that his meeting with US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was one of the most important meetings he has held since taking office and that his visit to the US will improve overall relations between the two countries.
After his meeting with Gates at the Pentagon, Sutanovac said that it is a known fact that the US and Serbia have had a lot of problems but the Serbian Defence Ministry has made huge steps to try and stabilise relations with the US.
He said that US Vice President Joe Biden’s recent visit to Serbia has shown that the US does want to improve relations with Serbia, adding that it was concluded at the meeting with Gates that the best cooperation takes place in the area of defence.
Sutanovac and Gates discussed the Serbian Army’s further activities concerning the Partnership for Peace Programam and Sutanovac informed Gates about the Serbian Army’s participation in the peacekeeping mission in Chad and the wish to expand this kind of cooperation in the future.
He also talked about a plan for the professionalization of the Serbian Army.
He said that they did not discuss the issue of Kosovo-Metohija, adding that during Biden’s visit it was established that the two countries do not agree on the matter.
He said that cooperation between the Serbian Army and the Ohio National Guard has produced results beyond all expectations and should serve as a guideline for future cooperation.
On the first day of his visit to the US, Sutanovac laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arlington Military Graveyard. During his stay in Washington, Sutanovac will hold several bilateral meetings with members of the US Senate and Congress and will also meet representatives of the Ohio National Guard.
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