As has been stated in the Ministry of Defence, during its designing, the national security strategy has been modified several times owing to changed circumstances. The process length has been affected by the break up of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, Ministry of Defence at the republic level forming, and then Kosovo unilateral declaration of independence as well as numerous early elections in Serbia.
Military analyst and the Faculty of Security Studies Professor Zoran Dragisic holds as unusual the Law on Defence and Army to be passed first (2007), and then Defence Strategic Review and only at the end general documents such as the National Security Strategy and Defence Strategy.
"Regardless the wrong order, passing these documents will be the top of the whole national security system. Those are the most general documents according to which plans and laws are made, and the future national security system development is indicated," says Dragisic adding that it is necessary to pass several more laws in order to complete regulatory rules needed for normal functioning of the defence system and continuation of initialised reforms.
Laws on military, work, and material obligations and civil service are in parliamentary procedure and public hearing on the draft of Law on Defence Forces Participation in Multinational Operations outside Serbian Borders has been completed. The work on the Law on Military Security Forces is also nearing the end as well as on circulation of armament and military equipment.
According to Zoran Dragisic, the National Security Strategy is a very modern document that is in accordance with the up-to-date world trends in science and security policy after its methodological structure, security risks estimations and ways of solving them.
"Serbian national security strategy to the great extent has adopted very modern human security concept that is widely applied in the European Union countries. Special attention has been made to asymmetric threats. Exactly the former Yugoslavia experiences indicate that the country whose complete national security system had been focused towards external threats, i.e., possible aggression by the Warsaw Pact countries or NATO, collapsed thanks to its internal problems. This National Security Strategy takes seriously social instability, the rule of law and human rights, as well as gender equality," points out Dragisic adding he agrees with the creators of strategy that those are spheres where from come the problems making possible most serious blows to the society and the State of Serbia.
As the biggest threat to the defence of Serbia, the Strategy states Kosovo illegal and unilateral declaration of independence and indicates that the possible escalation of violence in the Southern Province could be the source of destabilisation of the broader region with serious consequences. However, it is estimated that the aggression on Serbia is quite unlike and could happen as a consequence of armed conflicts of global or regional character.
Security of Serbia, as stated, could be threatened also by armed rebellion but separatist aspirations present special threat. International crime, terrorism, national, religious, and political extremism, as well as endangerment of environment is also stated as threats. On the other hand, human rights respect, economic prosperity, social stability, development of democracy and the rule of law are fundamental values that are protected.
It is specified that reform processes and changed attitude towards international community and European, Euro-Atlantic and regional integrations, as well as Serbia`s and neighbouring countries` participation in the Partnership for Peace has favourable impact on the security of Serbia.
Although pro-European orientation and Serbia`s security inseparability from the European area have been emphasised, analysts estimate that the Euro-Atlantic integrations could inspire the main objection during the National Assembly voting.
In the course of the public hearing, the opposition MPs have criticised the absence of precise definition of whether Serbia would remain neutral in future or tend towards the NATO membership. The Defence Minister Dragan Sutanovac also expects society members who have extreme attitude towards NATO will criticize the Serbia Defence Strategy.
"I expect that those with negative attitude will request that the Strategy has explicit statement for Serbia never to be the member of NATO while those favouring Euro-Atlantic integrations will insist on Serbia having Euro-Atlantic orientation," said Sutanovac repeating the official attitude of the State that the Partnership for Peace programme membership was currently exactly what is needed for cooperation with NATO.
Saying that the Serbia`s membership in the Alliance is "an abstract matter for the time being since nobody has invited us", Minister Sutanovac has added he was speaking in favour of Serbia`s high quality cooperation with that military and political alliance, especially on the administrative line in the Land Security Zone.
Defence Strategy confirms the interests of Serbia - preserving of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the state and protection of its citizens` security, improvement of security and stability in the region and partnership with international security organisations. The defence policy is based on strengthening own defence capacities, engagement in the EU security policy and achieving certain defence standards.
Therefore, the Serbian Armed Forces are the main state defence. Within the existing security surroundings, professional army is considered as the most adequate in efficient confrontation with all forms of security threats.
Zoran Dragisic said that Serbia was supposed to have absolutely professional army and abolish draft by 2010. However, economic crisis and political reasons as well as, such as military neutrality, have made this currently impossible.
"The process of complete army professionalisation will probably be completed only in 2012. However, it is important that the full army reorganisation has been carried through and in terms of organisational structure it completely complies with the needs of Serbia. Significant financial resources investment in new equipment purchasing is the next step," said Dragisic.
According to him, politics and politicians have had their word and now it is time for military experts to decide upon new resources necessary for the Serbian Army to be ready for missions and tasks provided by the Constitution, laws and strategic documents. However, technical modernisation of the Army, unfortunately, will not be so easy having in mind limited budget and the fact that even 2010 will not be economically better at all, concludes Dragisic.
* Sandra Pekic is a journalist with International Radio Serbia. CEV Magazine is an online publication of the Centre for European Values.
