Defence ministers of Serbia and Macedonia Dragan Sutanovac and Fatmir Besimi, agreed in Belgrade on Monday the two countries' cooperation was extremely important for the stability and progress in the region.

The two agreed that cooperation between the two ministries would help regional stability and stressed the importance of the defence industry, healthcare and education.

"We wish to expand cooperation with Macedonia, especially in terms of the defence industry, where they have achieved development," Sutanovac stated.

This is the first visit from an official of the Macedonian Ministry of Defence in five years, Sutanovac pointed out, adding that there was a high level of agreement when it came to the military.

"Macedonia is important to Serbia regarding defence in the region, military education and healthcare," Sutanovac stated, inviting his Macedonian colleague to attend the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Serbian aviation.

Macedonia is present in peace missions and its experience, together with its shared history with Serbia, could be a good guideline for future cooperation in those missions, Sutanovac remarked.

The two officials underlined that the location of the countries of Southeastern Europe was an inherent security risk, meaning cross-border crime, but they also emphasized that it was not a challenge solely for the military, but a problem for all security agencies.

Besimi insisted that the two countries have no problems concerning military cooperation and underscored that all future issues should be resolved peacefully, through democratic dialogue.
The visit is important for further cooperation, which has so far yielded excellent results, Besimi noted. It also signifies stronger cooperation, which we want to improve, particularly when it comes to sending Macedonian soldiers to Serbian military schools, he stated.