FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The Minister of Defense of Serbia, Miloš Vučević, said today that after 13 years of the suspension of compulsory military service, arguments have been presented for public discussion to abolish that suspension, but that this does not mean "preparation for war".
Vucevic told RTS that "the return of military service has nothing to do with the problems in Kosovo".
He said that every year the Serbian army loses about 60,000 soldiers from the reserve, due to old age, and at the same time every year it accepts or registers about 1,500 new professional members.
He emphasized that if the mandatory military service is restored, the Serbian Armed Forces will also keep their professional staff.
Serbia is considering the return of compulsory military service, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday, citing tensions in the Balkans and elsewhere in Europe.
He said that he received "strong arguments" from the military to restore the draft, which was suspended in 2011 in an effort to professionalize the army.
As "WashingtonPost" writes, the populist president has not specified when the mandatory military service will start. He said that the Parliament should vote on the proposal.
Vucic told reporters that the military service will be decided between 90 and 100 days.
The idea of compulsory military service in Serbia has been described as its aim to destabilize the Balkans. The Minister of Defense of Kosovo, Ejup Macedonci, has said that Serbia is threatening its neighbors and aims to intimidate and keep Serbian citizens under control.
Serbia is already surrounded by NATO member states. But despite this, it maintains close relations with Russia, from which it receives most of its military supplies.
Lini një Përgjigje