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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Big prospects for promoting military cooperation between Serbia, China

Belgrade, 7 September 2009

Minister of Defence Dragan Sutanovac and Chinese Defence Minister General Liang Guanglie stated today that there are big prospects for expanding military cooperation between the two countries.

Liang Guanglie and Dragan Sutanovac

Author: Fonet

Sutanovac and Guanglie said that the two countries cherish their traditionally good and friendly relations and that military cooperation will strengthen those ties even more.

Sutanovac said that this is for the first time in 25 years that a Chinese defence minister is making an official visit to Belgrade.

This visit is of strategic significance as it comes after President Boris Tadic's recent trip to China, he said.

Sutanovac also said that he and Guanglie concluded that defence sector ties are perhaps the best example of the overall cooperation between the two countries.

He thanked China for all it has done on the international scene regarding their respect for international law and for supporting Serbia in defending our interests in Kosovo.

By protecting the rights of Serbia in Kosovo, we support the rights of a One-China, reiterating that Serbia supports the One-China Policy.

According to him, military cooperation could expand to include military medicine, training, economics, military-scientific areas and the exchange of experiences related to peace operations.

Sutanovac mentioned that 20 Serbian officers attended courses in China, while one Chinese officer was in Belgrade, and that agreement was reached to raise this cooperation to a higher level.

They also discussed current asymmetrical threats on the global level, which include terrorism, organised crime and other criminal activities.

We expressed our mutual desire to cooperate in combating these threats and exchanging information, said the Serbian Defence Minister.

Guanglie told reporters that the talks went on in an open and candid atmosphere and a wide consensus on all issues was reached.

He stressed that China and Serbia, although geographically distant, have friendly relations deeply rooted in the hearts of the two nations.

Guanglie said he arrived in Serbia at the invitation of Minister Sutanovac because of this friendship and cooperation, and to learn more about their successful experience in building the Serbian Army.

The Chinese Minister said that they also discussed bilateral ties between the two countries, military bilateral ties and global international relations, and that on all these issues far reaching agreements had been reached.