Nato General: Alliance Respects Serbia’s Neutral Military Status

Panorama of Belgrade (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV/MO)

The head of the NATO military liaison office in Belgrade, Brigadier General Antonello Messenio Zaniti, said that “most of the people in Serbia are not fully aware how well the relationship between NATO and Serbia have developed.”

“Serbia is the Alliance’s highly regarded, long-term partner. We have developed a close political dialogue and have reached a considerable level of practical cooperation in many domains, while fully respecting Serbia’s neutral military status,” Zaniti said in a comment for the Nedeljnik paper published on April 21.

The general underlined that “it’s only up to Serbia to decide what kind of a relationship it wants with the NATO. In this context, it is quite possible to be neutral and a NATO partner at the same time. Whatever Serbia may decide, the Alliance will respect,” General Zaniti said.

Serbian people benefit directly from cooperation between Serbia and NATO, leading to a peaceful and stable future for your country, as well as the broader Western Balkan region, the NATO general said, adding that “it’s very important to share this message with the public clearly and regularly.”