BELGRADE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd June, 2023) The Serbian Defense Ministry said on Thursday that Minister Milos Vucevic and US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill have visited together and highly praised joint multinational NATO military exercise Platinum Wolf 23, which is currently taking place in Serbia.
Serbia is hosting the 10-nation military exercise at its Yug military base from June 16-30. About 600 troops from Serbia, the US, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the UK, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Romania, and North Macedonia will be trained for tactical maneuvers and interoperability.
"The decision of the Serbian government, based on the conclusions of the National Security Council, that the Serbian armed forces should not participate in military exercises, is still in force. An exception was made for Platinum Wolf 23, because it was in the national interest of Serbia, that is, in the interested of the Serbian armed forces, to organize this exercise. As for further activities of the same or similar nature, the Serbian government will be making decisions in coordination with the president, and, of course, the military leadership," Vucevic was quoted by the ministry as saying.�
He added that this joint exercise does not mean that Serbia would abandon its "independent and freedom-loving policy or its military neutrality." Belgrade is willing to have partnership relations with all countries, both those that participated in the training and those that did not, he said.� � � � �
�The US ambassador noted that equipping the training area and organizing the exercise took a lot of effort but the event has proven a success a demonstrated the potential of the US-Serbian collaboration.
