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by Dragan Šutanovac, Serbian Defense Minister Serbia is undergoing rapid changes and they are visible everywhere. There isn’t an area of the country and social life that is not experiencing reforms to a certain extent, all in the aim of building a functional and responsible state in line with the wishes of its citizens. Regardless of the fact that we virtually lost the entire decade of the last century while the world kept moving forward and developing at an exceptional speed, we should not be impatient in waiting for Serbia to join the EU, since the EU is where Serbia naturally belongs. We shouldn’t also dispute the headway that we have already made. We had two great successes – the cancellation of the so-called Schengen visas and application for EU membership. This is a very promising start to a decade during which we not only want to make up for lost time, but keep our eyes irmly ixed on the future.The European integrations process has become irreversible for Serbia. The EU is also changing. Following the adoption of the Lisbon Agreement, the Union has embarked on building its own security identity, while remaining ‘snuggled’ under the NATO umbrella. There are no indications that this might change in the near future, and this is something that every country that aspires to become a EU member needs to consider. NATO is also changing. Although originally formed as a defense alliance, today its political, security, and economic components are becoming more apparent. NATO is diligently working on its new Strategic Concept which entails much wider security aspects like climate changes, energy safety, cyber crime, and others. What used to be unthinkable in the past is quite normal today. Most countries of the former Warsaw Pact are now NATO members. Still, relations with Russia remain highly sensitive, relecting the desire and interest of both sides for improvement. Relations between Serbia and NATO are also changing. Things that were inconceivable only a decade ago have become reality today. KFOR and the Serbian Army, the two warring sides in the past, have become partners, gradually building trust in the ield. Today, their collaboration is one of the safety pillars in the region. Serbia is a participant in NATO’s Partnership for Peace and would like to be granted a status of advanced partner. This year, the Republic of Serbia will have its mission in NATO. We have adopted the second Individual Partnership Programme (IPP) for 2010 and we are planning to continue working with NATO on reforming the defense system. Serbia and NATO are no longer enemies, but partners who seek to ind the best modalities of cooperation. Still, the most important change in relations between Serbia and NATO is a change of conscience and the way we look at each other. The fact remains that certain NATO structures still have a ‘frozen image’ of Serbia, viewing it as Milošević’s Serbia from the 1990’s, as the culprit behind every single problem in the region. On the other hand, some people in Serbia think of NATO as being anti-Serb for bombing the country in 1999 nd taking away Kosovo and Metohija. Unfortunately, this is a case of covering up for the inability and incompetence of politicians that haven’t accomplished notable results. NATO is a favorite topic among such politicians, because by constantly regressing to the past they are trying to conceal the fact that they don’t have anything to ofer for the future. Serbia facing up to what the country really stands for is not easy or pleasant, and the current generation of politicians certainly doesn’t have it easy. Although NATO air raids were a really traumatic event for Serbia that could not and should not be forgotten, this country is quite capable of handling its own responsibility in this case and judge those politicians who, in the name of Serbia and patriotic duty, were only actually concerned with their own well-being. Real patriotism has nothing to do with empty words and constantly pointing out what we wouldn’t and shouldn’t do. Real patriotism is all about building infrastructure, schools, hospitals, increasing export, reducing the foreign trade deicit... In short, creating a better life right now, since life cannot wait. In the defense sector that I am managing, patriotism can only be measured by what extent have we managed to regain our reputation and increase civil trust in the army, as well as by building an eicient and economically sustainable defense system that will apply the best safety standards compatible with the conditions that surround us. This is where NATO standards come in. Last year, Serbia exported a total of $300-million worth of defense products and concluded new contracts worth $500 million. In the upcoming period, factories will have to hire more people to carry out the contracted activities, which is certainly a step in the right direction not only for these factories but also for the entire economy and cities in which the factories are located. A politician who speaks the truth has seldom been popular in Serbia. But it is not a politician’s job to be popular, but to work in the best interest of his country and its citizens. Under the present circumstances, that means working towards Serbia’s becoming an EU member as soon as possible, as well as helping Serbia, as an EU candidate, to position itself with respect to NATO while bearing in mind the national, economic, political, and security aspects. In order to do that, we need to do a rational analysis on which we are going to base our future decisions. Hence, I think it is really good that we, in Serbia, are starting to talk about joining NATO, since that will help us with the transition from an emotional bond that we have from the past to rational discussions focused on the country’s future. Of course, all of this should be done in accordance with the Constitution and oicial state policy. To conclude, Serbia is deinitely going to collaborate with NATO even without being its member. The form of this collaboration will be ultimately decided by Serbian citizens.
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Serbia is undergoing rapid changes and they are visible everywhere. There isn’t an area of the country and social life that is not experiencing reforms to a certain extent, all in the aim of building a functional and responsible state in line with the wishes of its citizens. Regardless of the fact that we virtually lost the entire decade of the last century while the world kept moving forward and developing at an exceptional speed, we should not be impatient in waiting for Serbia to join the EU, since the EU is where Serbia naturally belongs.