“The US National Guard has a fantastic partnership with Serbia. Our soldiers exercise and train with the Serbian Armed Forces, and so professionalism develops. We can share what we have learnt with each other and, ultimately, we do everything we can to ensure our relations are good and our countries safe,” General Daniel R. Hokanson, Chief of the US National Guard Bureau, said in his interview with Kurir.
Serbia and the US have a significant collaboration in the military domain. How can it be improved and expanded?
“If we look back on what has been done in the past 17 years, we have certain areas in which we can improve. Some of the things where we cooperate include peacekeeping operations and the fight against cyber-threats. Serbia is very active in this fight around the world, not only in the region. Every time we meet, we look to see what we can learn from each other. The professionalism of both our Armed Forces makes both sides better, and we can share the lessons learnt. This is truly a great partnership.”
Could you tell us more about the importance of joint exercises?
“When we train together, we try to make our equipment interoperable, try to communicate about this and also learn, as well as see what the advantages and shortcomings are. These are great opportunities, when the members of the National Guard train with the Serbian Armed Forces – then we get a chance to work together and use the same kind of equipment. In addition, we look to see how we could use it, not here, but in the peacekeeping operations throughout the world.”
What advantages does Serbia gain from procuring military equipment from the West which is interoperable with the equipment of its military partners?
“Serbia is part of Europe and, in a way, part of the West, so if you look at the countries involved in peacekeeping operations or in military exercises, these are the forces that we will work with. If you have similar equipment, which is very durable and of high quality, this allows joint work and collaboration and, if, for example, we are on Sinai, it’s possible to share the lessons learnt. If we use the same equipment, then we can share our knowledge regarding how to better use it. It is usually necessary to have similar equipment as the ones you are collaborating with. If you consider the peacekeeping operations, these are the forces that will most probably get in contact.”
What is your assessment of the relations between NATO and Serbia?
“These relations develop every day. If we go back to The Partnership for Peace programme from 2006, the relations that we have continued to develop, and if you look at the participation of Serbia in peacekeeping operations, it is a truly high level for a small country and the number of soldiers that Serbia provides. Serbia is one of the countries that provides the greatest number of soldiers per capita. In late June and early July, we will have a multinational peacekeeping exercise on Sinai, and the Serbian Armed Forces will work together with the National Guard there.”
On the war in Ukraine
‘It will take years and billions for the reconstruction’
Regarding the war in Ukraine, from your standpoint, what is the assessment of the US – is a compromise possible, and when can we expect the end of this war?
“I would like to know the answer to that question but, unfortunately, if you take a look at Russia’s unprovoked and brutal invasion on Ukraine, the humanitarian disaster that followed, the number of injured and killed civilians, and the destruction of the country, then it is clear that it will take years and billions of dollars to reconstruct all this. The National Guard, i.e. the State of California, has a 30-year-long partnership with Ukraine, similar to the one with Serbia, and we have been training with them for years. We continued to train Ukrainian soldiers even when the war started in order to allow them to defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity. We are not sure how all this will end, but we hope that the Ukrainians are capable of regaining their sovereignty. It is up to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to make decisions in this regard, and we would like for the war to end and to put a stop to this disaster.”
What can the US do the ensure regional peace and stability?
“The biggest thing is to help stability and peace in every way. The National Guard is part of KFOR and, in the light of the recent events, we have realized that we should work more on our capabilities, but also work well together. It is an opportunity for the US to train with the members of the Serbian Armed Forces and, as we see not only our role in NATO, but also the role of Serbia in NATO’s peacekeeping operations, we are trying to do everything possible to help de-escalation, should a crisis situation arise. The Secretary of State Antony Blinken made it clear, calling on all sides for things to calm down and for the situation to deescalate whenever there is a potential conflict, so that we could resolve everything using political means.”
(Kurir.rs)
NE PROPUSTITE
