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INAT
03-25-2009, 04:10 PM
Serbian President Boris Tadic said that Serbia is ready for a comprehensive military technical cooperation with Russia but expressed criticism of the pace of cooperation for the existing military agreements.
“We are prepared for comprehensive military technical cooperation with Russia and are open for all suggestions,” Tadic said.
Noting that Russian help is vital to developing Serbian military potential, Tadic also expressed criticism that the existing military deals are slow to materialize.
“Unfortunately, a number of already coordinated projects, one of which is the modernization of our combat helicopters, has not been realized so far,” Tadic said.
Tadic said that there is a whole series of ideas that Russia could be of help in strengthening Serbia’s general security system against external threats.
Russian foreign ministry did not comment on Tadic’s statements that were carried by a Russian daily, but it commented separately on the tenth anniversary of NATOs aggression against Serbian civilians.
“We urge that the events which took place ten years ago (in 1999) be looked at rationally, as well as their devastating consequences on the system of international relations, and for conclusions to be reached which would not allow such actions to happen again in the future,” said Russian Foreign Ministry representative Andrei Nesterenko.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that Russia’s opinion of the NATO aggression has not changed.
“These actions were outside international field, were taken in violation of the United Nations Charter and did not help stability in Europe, to say nothing of great suffering inflicted on Serbian people,” Lavrov said and added that the “consequences of these actions that were followed up by the unilateral declaration of Kosovo independence in defiance of the UN Security Council resolution will be felt for a long time yet”.
Patriarch of Moscow and Russia Orthodox Metropolitan Kyrill also voiced his solidarity with Serbian people on the tenth anniversary of NATO aggression.
“We have never forgotten the hardships experienced by our Serbian brothers,” Patriarch Kyrill said.
In his letter to Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Pavle, Patriarch Kyrill wrote that “The intention to use weapons to undo the knot of ethnic, religious, psychological and spiritual factors has caused great suffering to the entire Serbian people, whose consequences can still be felt”.
Serbian Minister of Defense Dragan Sutanovac and the chief of the Serbian army laid wreaths on graves of Serbian pilots killed by NATO while defending Serbia.
Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic unveiled a plaque in memory of 177 police officers killed while defending the country form NATO aggression.
“Over 800 members of the interior ministry gave their lives in the 1990s defending their country and people,” Dacic said.
http://www.serbianna.com/blogs/newspost/?p=1651

jaybe
03-25-2009, 07:27 PM
I hope now Russia will not leave Serbia alone

hskywalker
03-25-2009, 07:43 PM
Serbia doesn't even have sea access, what can russia do to help them. Can't believe they declined this fast. They must have exceptional leaders.

Ordie
03-26-2009, 12:47 AM
Serbia doesn't even have sea access, what can russia do to help them.

Neither did West Berlin during the Cold War, but the Berlin Airlift proved otherwise.

ren0312
03-26-2009, 02:00 AM
Neither did West Berlin during the Cold War, but the Berlin Airlift proved otherwise.

Assuming that Russia has the required airlift capability.

Lokos
03-26-2009, 02:02 AM
You know, most of the goods in question would be shipped in the same way all other goods in that category are delivered to Serbia; via third parties...

L.

Ordie
03-26-2009, 02:34 AM
You know, most of the goods in question would be shipped in the same way all other goods in that category are delivered to Serbia; via third parties...

L.

Quid pro quo.

If Russia allows NATO to ship goods to Afghanistan, then NATO will do the same.

Paya
03-26-2009, 03:34 AM
Quid pro quo.

If Russia allows NATO to ship goods to Afghanistan, then NATO will do the same.
Exactly how and why would NATO stop Russia from delivering honestly paid for military hardware to Serbia?

wildcat
03-26-2009, 03:38 AM
Does not surprise me that Serbia would want to team with Russia, it not like the west has been that friendly to them, as for shipping weapons to Serbia, NATO will have nothing to do with this, and the 3rd party nations that are involved will be the ones making the choice weather this can happen.

Paya
03-26-2009, 03:55 AM
Does not surprise me that Serbia would want to team with Russia, it not like the west has been that friendly to them, as for shipping weapons to Serbia, NATO will have nothing to do with this, and the 3rd party nations that are involved will be the ones making the choice weather this can happen.
It's not "teaming up" per se, it's more that our military hardware is mostly Russian-made, and it's modernization is likely to take place either in Russia or with their cooperation.

There is also a rumor that Serbia will buy Bosnian M-84 tanks, and since there is no point in piling up obsolete hardware, there is likely a plan for their modernization. Russians could be of assistance in that regard, since M-84 is a license-built and somewhat modernized version of the T-72.

Of course, since Serbia's Parliament has rejected any notion of joining NATO a while ago, it would be prudent to seek some kind of a military alliance with the Russian Federation. To be fair, though, I don't see what would Moscow have to gain from such an alliance. Slavic brotherhood and the traditional bonds between our countries aside, Russia isn't where it is now because their decisions were guided by abstract notions of brotherhood.

Lokos
03-26-2009, 06:00 AM
Quid pro quo.

If Russia allows NATO to ship goods to Afghanistan, then NATO will do the same.

... Why would NATO impose any restriction in the first place? They haven't done it hitherto...

L.

Dercius
03-26-2009, 06:22 AM
Assuming that Russia has the required airlift capability.

Well, everytime something huge has to be airlifted somewhere here in the west, its always done by a russian air cargo company using russian made planes or helicopters. So, refering to airlift capacity, the west is waaaay behind the russians.

kosse
03-26-2009, 06:33 AM
Well, everytime something huge has to be airlifted somewhere here in the west, its always done by a russian air cargo company using russian made planes or helicopters. So, refering to airlift capacity, the west is waaaay behind the russians.

Err, no. Russia has some magnificient large cargo planes and transport helicopters which are often very useful but it still doesn't really compete with US let alone NATO airlift capacity volume.

Holycrusader
03-26-2009, 06:47 AM
Err, no. Russia has some magnificient large cargo planes and transport helicopters which are often very useful but it still doesn't really compete with US let alone NATO airlift capacity volume.

Still Russian airlift capacity volume is more than enough for this job. Not to mention that I still do not know why they would not transport their goods via ports in Montenegro...

SrB-23Q
03-26-2009, 11:38 AM
Still Russian airlift capacity volume is more than enough for this job. Not to mention that I still do not know why they would not transport their goods via ports in Montenegro...

i was thinking the same thing.

tea drinker
03-26-2009, 12:01 PM
“We are prepared for comprehensive military technical cooperation with Russia and are open for all suggestions,” Tadic said.

What does that mean in reality? Will they work together on technical projects or does it just mean something like access to the top chain of command in Serbia or?
Open for all suggestions is interesting language.
I realise they have been rebuilding bridges for some time in civil and mil matters but this seems like a big change.

Sumadinac
03-26-2009, 01:36 PM
Let's wait for the facts. Politicians like to speak.

Paya
03-26-2009, 03:09 PM
Open for all suggestions is interesting language.
Don't read too much into it. The guy has a word fund of approximately... Well, three. For instance, in describing basically everything that he does, whether it is EU accession talks or his going to the can, he will use the word "complex".

DS73
03-26-2009, 05:30 PM
You know, most of the goods in question would be shipped in the same way all other goods in that category are delivered to Serbia; via third parties...

L.

There is no need for third parties. See Danube Navigation agreement.