Politics is not mathematical or it is not only mathematical, so if the new government has different priorities than the one I was a member of, if the policy changes, it is logical that the ministers change, we are not all for everyone. I am not a man forever. All are interchangeable, it is only a matter of time and reason for replacement. I believe in Aleksandar Vučić and the Socialist Movement will support him, regardless of whether I am in the Government or not and I am not involved in politics.
With these words, the Minister of Defense and President of the Socialist Movement Aleksandar Vulin begins an interview with Kurir in which he talks about the formation of a new government, the political ambitions of his coalition colleagues, the results he obtained in the Defense department , but also what he did not achieve in the Serbian Army. .
It is the day on which it will be announced who is the president for the composition of the new government. He said that he did not expect to be a minister and that he would not ask President Vučić to do so. Why?
– I know how much pressure is under President Vučić to secure a place in the Government and for many who do not have much merit, but have great ambitions. The SNS rightly expects greater participation, and each partner in the coalition believes that it is irreplaceable and that it must take its worth from the ministry. I will not participate in that pressure and I do not ask for anything for myself or for the party that I lead. It was not I who won the elections, but Vučić, and that is quickly forgotten as soon as the votes are counted and victory is announced. I hope that pressure from the West will increase for Vučić to step down as president of the SNS and not run for election any more.
photo: Stefan Jokić
Why does Vučić, as you claim, upset the West?
– They know very well how great their name is in the electorate and that their absence from politics cannot fail to reflect the number of votes that the SNS will obtain with or without the coalition. The Europeans, who are trying us without a court, know that Vučić will win the elections as many times as he wants and that they do not want a strong Serbian president and a strong Serbia. Vučić’s resignation as head of the SNS would initiate the process of disintegration of the SNS and the creation of numerous factions that would come into conflict with each other, and that is the only way for the DOS parties to return to power. Of course, with the support of parts of such a fragmented SNS and other parties, even those in power today. Vučić has a historical responsibility to preserve the SNS as a party that will reunite and unite politically all Serbs in the near future, especially those who do not live in Serbia.
It is in the technical mandate of the Minister of Defense. How far has the Serbian army progressed since you took over that department until now? Are you satisfied with what you have achieved?
– The army that I had the honor to lead is stronger, better equipped, more armed, more trained and more motivated than three years ago. The Supreme Commander of the Serbian Army did everything possible to provide us with funds, to conclude technical-military agreements with Russia and Belarus, to allow us to supply ourselves both in the East and in the West, to achieve the understanding of the Government and the Ministry for all needs from army. With that support from Supreme Commander Vučić, the army also became stronger and better. This is an army that is not ashamed of either Lazarević (General Vladimir Lazarević, ed.) Or Pavković (General Nebojša Pavković, ed.), Who is proud of Košare and Pastrik, who does not forget who he fought and how he fought. I am proud of the National Defense Strategy, which for the first time establishes military neutrality as a binding decision and clearly states that the attack against the Serbs and the Republika Srpska is an attack against Serbia. Before Vučić, nobody had the courage to sign him. All types and branches of the army have been improved compared to previous years.
What did you fail to do?
– I failed to introduce ABHO (atomic-biological-chemical defense) in all units, to complete the different organization process of the army in the sense that not all brigades must be equally equipped and armed, and have different tasks, more Complete rebuilding the huge and neglected infrastructure and I especially regret not being able to provide not a linear salary increase, but a higher salary increase for professional soldiers, and then for NCOs, etc.
The Government of Serbia has made the decision to suspend all military exercises and all military activities with all partners for the next six months. Can that deadline be expected to be extended after half a year, and what does that mean for Serbia’s military position?
– It’s too early to talk about that. That decision preserved our military neutrality, because we refused to stop the exercises with Belarus and to make our army a means of blackmail. We said that if we cannot deal with Belarus, a friendly country and an army that has never done anything wrong to us, then we will stop all exercises with everyone. The decision preserved our military neutrality and was made in response to great pressure from the EU, which thus showed its worst side. I would like us to start the exercises as soon as possible, because it is valuable to the army, but if that is the only way to maintain military neutrality, then continue. The way we made the decision was more difficult for me than the decision itself. I asked for the cessation of peacekeeping operations under the command of the EU, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes that we should continue with our commitment and I no longer have the opportunity to change that. Nothing new, this is not the first time I have been in the minority.
photo: Ministry of Defense of Serbia
These days, the question has been raised whether Serbian weapons are used in the conflicts between Azerbaijan and Armenia. It is about Serbian ammunition, but explain why some people put Serbia in a bad context due to the fact that the most diverse weapons, imported from various countries, are used in warfare.
– Weapons are made to kill people in war. This simple truth is not beautiful, but it is true. We sell weapons to those who are not under UN sanctions, and that is all that can be said about it. Many weapons are used in the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict over Nagorno Karabakh, manufacturers are from all over the world and only a dozen Serbian missiles are a problem. It is all part of a special war both against our army and against the Serbian defense industry. Our competition seizes the opportunity to make it difficult for our industry to work through politicians and the media, and they are quite successful at that. We have already had several cancellations of contracted orders with the explanation that our business is visible to everyone and that we are not able to comply with the secrecy clauses and the like. The factories of the Serbian defense industry addressed the public with a letter, in which they say that they are used to tripping overseas, but that this is the first time this has happened to them at home. Buyers are absorbed by our competitors, mainly from Bulgaria, but other countries also seize the opportunity. We respect regulations, we are the fourth country in the world in terms of transparency in the sale of weapons and military equipment, and everything else is just a special war that must put 12,000 people out of work and reduce capacities and space for supplies and equipment. cheap from our army.
photo: Printscreen Lajmi.net/Metro Gazeta, AP
On Pristina politicians
Haradinaj’s biography was clarified in The Hague
Members of the terrorist KLA testified in The Hague in the previous days. There are announcements that Hashim Thaci, the president of Kosovo, will be in prison for war crimes. What changes could it bring to Pristina and Belgrade?
– Except for the satisfaction of justice, nothing. Shiptars has only one policy when it comes to Serbia and Serbs. Whoever rules Pristina will do everything possible to harm Serbia and to have as few Serbs as possible in Kosovo and Metohija. So far, Ramush Haradinaj has been brought to The Hague to clean up his biography and prepare him for the post of prime minister. I would be pleasantly surprised if they took someone away to satisfy justice.
photo: EPA / JIM LO SCALZO, EPA-EFE / TRACIE VAN AUKEN, EPA / Doug Mills / POOL
About the American elections
Biden would strengthen relations with Serbia
Elections in the United States are on November 3. Are you following the debates of presidential candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump, and how could the election results affect Serbia?
– The arrival of Biden would strengthen relations with Serbia. Biden is a Democrat, Serbia has nothing good to say about her administrations. Just as there is nothing good to say about the Serbian Democratic Party, Serbia has nothing good to say about the politics of democratic presidents in the United States. Hillary Clinton said “Kosovo is my family’s legacy” and with that she said it all. The Republicans did not owe us much either, but Trump wanted to listen to us and accept that Serbia has his interests, Vučić fought for that, and that is not small.
