BELGRADE - Chief of Staff of Allied Joint Force Command Naples Lieutenant General Luciano Portolano visited Serbia on January 16, 2019. During his visit he met with Serbian Government and Armed Forces representatives. In addition, as a guest of honour, Lieutenant General Portolano attended the reception marking the 12th anniversary of the inauguration of the NATO Military Liaison Office in Belgrade.
At the meeting with First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dačić, Lieutenant General Portolano underlined that Serbia is one of the best partners to the Alliance, the key factor of regional stability, and that NATO invests special efforts to further improve the quality and quantity of common activities within the Partnership so as to further strengthen security and stability in the region.
Minister Dačić said that although the past cannot be changed, the future can be influenced, relying on a common interest to preserve peace and stability in the region, thus deepening Serbia – NATO cooperation so that the positive agenda can be further developed in the mutual interest.
Meeting with the Lieutenant General Milan Mojsilović, Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff
Photo by SAF
On behalf of the Ministry of Defence, State Secretary Aleksandar Živković met with Lieutenant General Portolano, to discuss the cooperation between Serbia and NATO. State Secretary pointed out that, for Serbia, participation in activities under the Partnership for Peace Programme provides favourable conditions for the improvement of regional cooperation, support for the defence reform, and that Serbia remains a reliable and serious partner to NATO under the Partnership for Peace Programme based on mutual respect and enhancement of regional and global security.
The Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, Lieutenant General Milan Mojsilović and Lieutenant General Portolano discussed the joint activities under the Partnership for Peace Programme, as well as the importance of cooperation between KFOR and the Serbian Armed Forces in order to maintain stability and security in the region.p
As a part of the visit, the Chief of Staff of the Allied Joint Force Command Naples visited NATO Military Liaison Office where he was greeted by the MLO Chief, Brigadier General Cesare Marinelli and presented to the MLO staff.
The two discussed the important role the Belgrade Office plays in promoting the cooperation between Serbia and NATO, contributing to the efforts made by NATO to advance the political dialogue and relations in the practical sphere.