Dragan Sormaz, Head of the standing delegation, briefed the guests on its work at the parliamentary organisation, stressing that Serbia has been cooperating with NATO since 2016 through the Partnership for Peace programme. He added that the NATO PA has been in existence for 60 years now, the NATO member states have their delegations in it, all 28 of them, while the countries which have some type of cooperation with NATO have the status of associate member, which means that they are taking part but cannot vote.

“Our delegation to the NATO PA has been an associate member for 10 years now and we have been very active. Today the situation for Serbia in the organisation is very favourable because we are seen as a positive factor in the region”, opined Sormaz.

Delegation member Jasmina Nikolic said that the NATO PA’s interest in the region is waning and she sincerely hopes that Serbia would no longer be the chief topic in the international parliamentary institution, while delegation member Prof. Dr Zoran Dragisic mainly focused on the issue of professionalisation of the military.

The attendees of NATO Week, students of the Faculty of Political Sciences, faculties of economy, law and technology from a number of universities in Serbia, as well as members of the political parties, had questions about public diplomacy and public recognition of Serbia’s cooperation with NATO, sustainability of Serbia’s policy of military neutrality, possible change of US policy toward the region following the recent presidential elections in the country, and professionalisation of the military.