Marko Djurisic, member of the Committee on Defense and Security, Dr Tanja Miscevic, State Secretary at the Ministry of Defense and Madis Vainoma, acting chief of the Democratisation Department of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, held opening addresses. Brigadier General Milan Mojsilovic, Deputy Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff Joint Operations Command, and Brigadier General Mladen Vuruna, Military Academy Chief, also spoke about the publications.

Member of the Committee on Defense and Security Marko Djurisic declared that the Information Booklet on the system of defense of the Republic of Serbia would to considerably help the deputies to do their job considering the important role the National Assembly and the Committee on Defense and Security in particular play in the democratic and civil control over the security sector. The collection of papers is significant as it demonstrates Serbia’s wish to become an active participant in the European system of security, concluded Djurisic.

Tanja Miscevic, State Secretary at the Ministry of Defense, pointed out that the Information Booklet contributes to the transparency of the work of the Ministry of Defense and Serbian Armed Forces. The collection of papers speaks of the contribution to Serbia’s democratisation and achievement of European standards in the field of defense and security.
Madis Vainoma, acting chief of the Democratisation Department of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, stressed that the Information Booklet is very useful as it provides basic information on Serbia’s defense system and organisation structure in the Ministry of Defense. At the same time it facilitates communication as it contains a unified registry of contacts in the Ministry and Army. The OSCE Mission supported the publication of the Information Booklet and “Security and Defense Aspects of the Accession of the Republic of Serbia to the European Union” collection of papers so as to improve research capacities and support debate in the field of defense and security. Vainoma concluded that it is important that the publications were presented at the National Assembly due to its role in the sphere of democratic and civil control over the defense field.

Brigadier General Milan Mojsilovic, Deputy Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff Joint Operations Command and Brigadier General Mladen Vuruna, Military Academy Chief, said that the Information Booklet provides significant and useful information on the organisation and competence of state authorities in the field of defense. Security challenges and threats in the modern world demonstrate a deep interdependence between states, as well as interdependence between the states and the civil sector. The Information Booklet will also be very useful to Military Academy students particularly in view of the harmonisation process between military education and the secondary and higher education system in Serbia.