German Army Assistant Chief of Staff J9 Brigadier General Reinhard Kloss leads an Expert Staff meeting with Serbian Ministry of Defence by Navy Captain Milan Konikovac regarding partnership activities between NATO and Serbian Armed Forces. Courtesy Photo.
BELGRADE, Serbia – An Allied Joint Force Command Naples delegation conducted a NATO Expert Staff Meeting in Belgrade on Nov. 15 to discuss partnership activities with Serbian Armed Forces.
The delegation was led by German Army Assistant Chief of Staff J9 Brigadier General Reinhard Kloss. The team was received at the Serbian Ministry of Defence by Navy Captain Milan Konikovac, head of department of international military cooperation.
Captain Konikovac opened the meeting by welcoming the NATO team and the opportunity to receive an update on NATO programs. Topics of discussion ranged across a review of 2017 partnership activities, Operational Capability Concept, NATO exercises in 2018 and 2019 and finally 2018-2019 partnership activities available to Serbian Armed Forces. Additionally, NATO presented Serbian Armed Forces with an in-depth briefing of the NATO Strategic Direction South Hub to highlight NATO’s newest capability following its recent inauguration.
The NATO military partnership with Serbia has seen a steady growth in numbers of Serbian Armed Forces personnel participating in NATO activities over the last several years as an active NATO partner country. It currently participates in numerous NATO initiatives including various courses at NATO Centres of Excellences, NATO School Oberammergau, the NATO Defense College, Senior Executive NATO courses and other Key Leader Engagements.
The Expert Staff Meeting is a vital part of the annual military cooperation between NATO and Serbia, as it ensures the military partnership is meeting the needs of the Serbian Armed Forces’ and generates partnering activity that is in-line with NATO’s Military Committee’s Direction and Guidance. More broadly it also supports NATO’s broader aims to help build the trust and understanding that will lead to better cooperation in the region while increasing military interoperability for future NATO missions
Story by JFC Naples J9 Public Affairs Office