Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced that Belgrade and Budapest are working towards establishing a comprehensive military alliance, following the signing of a document on Serbian-Hungarian strategic defence cooperation.
"We aim to forge the closest strategic relations in the field of defense, and we believe that this agreement on joint activities will pave the way for a military alliance or union between Serbia and Hungary," the Serbian leader stated.
The document on strategic defence cooperation, along with a plan for bilateral military partnership for 2025, were signed by Serbian Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic and his Hungarian counterpart, Krisztof Szalay-Bobrovniczky. Serbia's president Aleksandar Vucic attended the signing ceremony.
"Of all the countries in the region, Serbia has the most developed and intensive cooperation in defence with Hungary - in terms of the number and importance of joint activities," Vucic said in a separate press release issued by the Serbian defence ministry.
Vucic stated the key elements of the defence cooperation with Hungary are military-to-military cooperation, which includes bilateral and multinational exercises, and military-technical cooperation in the procurement of weapons systems and assets.
The plan outlines 79 joint activities, which include helicopter exercises, naval training, multinational peace operations training for volunteer reserve personnel, and rifle training.
Szalay-Bobrovniczky stated that the two countries hold regular consultations at the highest level even though Serbia is not a member of the European Union.
"In Belgrade today, I reaffirmed Hungary’s commitment to peace and stability in the Western Balkans. Serbia is a key partner in this effort, and we strongly support its EU integration. Our strategic ties span all areas—including defence," wrote Krisztof Szalay-Bobrovniczky on X.
He confirmed that out of the neighbouring non-EU and non-NATO member states, Hungary had the most intensive bilateral defence and military relations with Serbia, and also contributed to the modernization of the Serbian Armed Forces.
"Serbia is not in the EU, but we engage in consultations at the highest level. Since 2023, we have expanded our cooperation to include military matters, and today, we have moved forward with the plan for 2025," - stated the Hungarian Minister of Defence.
Serbia applied for EU membership in 2009, and in 2012 it was deemed a candidate country. Negotiations between the EU and Serbia for enlargement are ongoing.
The agreement comes two weeks after the defence ministers of Albania, Croatia and Kosovo signed a defence cooperation agreement that aims to strengthen their defence capabilities and improve military interoperability through joint training and exercises. Right after the signing the tripartite agreement, Serbia expressed concerns over the increasing military cooperation between Kosovo, Albania, and Croatia
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 23rd of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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