Chief of Serbian Armed Forces (VS) General Staff Ljubisa Dikovic said Kosovo's unilaterally declared independence was the greatest security challenge for Serbia, warning that a reduction in KFOR troops under current circumstances would not be good.

"We are following all events in the region which can affect Serbia's safety and we have good cooperation with our neighbors. The greatest security challenge for Serbia is Kosovo's unilaterally declared independence. You can be sure that we will react adequately, in line with decisions and authorizations, to any attempt to transfer the crisis from the province to the territory of central Serbia," Dikovic said in an interview for the daily Vecernje Novosti.

The army has a crisis-prevention plan and the ability to perform its constitutional role. As far as Kosovo, under the Military Technical Agreement signed in Kumanovo (which ended the NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999),
KFOR is the main authority there, he recalled, adding he was convinced the force was up to the challenge.

Noting that the Serbian army and KFOR have good professional cooperation, Dikovic said it was important to take into account the security situation when considering any reductions in the number of troops. "Our assessment is that under the current circumstances, scaling back the KFOR contingent would set things backwards. KFOR's presence must not be tied to a deadline but to the situation on the ground, which currently does not allow for a decrease in numbers," said the chief of general staff.

He said security challenges faced by Serbia and the region included different forms of extremism and organized crime.
Dikovic said that in terms of cooperation with NATO through the Partnership for Peace program, the VS was focused on planning, the concept of operational capability and defense institution building.

Dikovic said there was mutual interest in intensifying cooperation between the Serbian and Russian armies, especially in the fields of military economy, joint special forces training, military medicine and education. "With the United States, we have the closest cooperation with the Ohio National Guard. Exercises, personnel training, supporting the development of the "South" Base near Bujanovac (southern Serbia) are just some of the areas where we cooperate with the United States," said Dikovic.