Russian Defense Ministry Mulls Opening Office in Traditional Ally Serbia
According to RFE/RL, The Russian Defense Ministry is planning to open an office in Serbia as Moscow pushes to expand military ties with its traditional Balkan ally.
Serbia's Defense Ministry said on October 20 that "legal proceedings" have been launched that would allow an agreement between the two countries on the opening of a Russian Defense Ministry mission in the country.
The goal of the office would be to "provide support and faster resolution of issues related to military-technical assistance, military, and military-technical cooperation," it said in a statement.
The Russian government has authorized the Defense Ministry to open such an office, according to an order dated October 15 and signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
Serbia has been seeking to join the European Union while maintaining close military ties with its Slavic ally Russia.
Serbia, which claims military neutrality, is a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace program but has pledged to stay out of the Western military alliance.
Last month, Serbia suspended all foreign military exercises on the eve of planned maneuvers together with Russia in Belarus, citing alleged pressure from the EU.
Serbia, which claims military neutrality, has pledged to stay out of NATO and refused to join Western sanctions against Russia for its policies in Ukraine. The Balkan country is the only remaining close Russian ally in the region and its neighbors are mostly NATO member states.
Russia’s arming of Serbia with warplanes, anti-aircraft systems and armored vehicles is watched with unease in the West amid lingering tensions in the Balkans, which went through a devastating civil war in the 1990s. NATO intervened in Serbia to stop a bloody Serb crackdown against Kosovo Albanian separatists in 1999.
NATO has refused to comment on the possible opening of Russian Defense Ministry offices in Belgrade, referring an AP request to Serbian and Russian authorities.
NATO has had experts stationed in Belgrade helping the Serbian military align with Western military standards.
