FLASH
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As tensions in the region have increased, Serbia has proposed the introduction of compulsory military service...
The Serbian Military Staff has proposed the return of mandatory military service in the country, as tensions in the Balkans are increasing.
The announcement came from the Ministry of Defense, which stated that young people must perform a service of up to four months. According to her, this is done "to increase the defensive capabilities of the Serbian Armed Forces, through renewal and improvement of the training of active and reserve forces".
According to the Defense Minister, the proposal by the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces comes after "a detailed review of the overall security situation and the current challenges facing the Republic of Serbia as a militarily neutral country."
He added that the proposal has been forwarded to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic for consideration.
Serbia suspended compulsory military service in 2011 amid efforts to professionalize the armed forces.
Now, the country looks close to bringing back conscription, despite concerns that the government could foot a heavy bill for such massive conscription.
In the 1990s, the region went through a bloody breakup of the former Yugoslavia. Tensions have been high in the Balkans ever since.
Although officially neutral, the Serbian military has maintained close ties to Russia, from where it has purchased most of its weapons, including fighter jets and tanks.
Despite officially seeking membership in the European Union, Serbia has refused to impose sanctions against Russia for its aggression against Ukraine.
Tensions have largely revolved around Serbia's former province of Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, something Serbia and allies Russia and China do not recognize.
Belgrade has raised the combat readiness of its forces on the border with Kosovo several times during the last months.
Serbia has also maintained cordial relations with NATO, whose peacekeeping troops have been stationed in Kosovo since 1999, when the Western military alliance intervened to stop Belgrade's bloody crackdown on Kosovo Albanians.
Another volatile region is Bosnia, where a Bosnian-Serb separatist leader has threatened to declare the Serb-controlled half of Bosnia independent and unite it with neighboring Serbia. /Adapted "Pamphlet" from " Euro News "
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