Stefanović: We have to think today what the battlefields of tomorrow are

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, PhD, said today that reforms and development must not be mere, abstract words and that the Republic of Serbia and its defence system were seriously considering all future challenges, in order to be able to respond to them.



He gave a lecture today on "Achieved level of reform, directions and priorities for further development of the Ministry of

According to him, budgetary allocations for the armed forces are incomparably higher today, they are much better equipped today and steps have been taken to improve the standard of living of the defence system personnel. He also said that the implemented reforms were a good basis for further progress.

Emphasizing the importance of the topic, Stefanović also pointed out that it was important for us to understand the future of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces.

- Reforms should not be mere, abstract words. We already have to think today about what the battlefields of tomorrow are, what will happen in twenty, thirty years’ time, and to adjust our further development to that. We have to start preparing for the challenges of the future today, while at the same time drawing lessons from past experiences - said Stefanović.

The Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces, Stefanović noted, are a key factor in ensuring the security and stability of every country and are the strongest guarantor, not only of peace, but also of the country's independence.



- As a country, we have decided to be neutral. This is often said to be the most expensive model, which it often is, but it is a model that allows us to make all decisions exclusively in the interest of our own people. That means that we must have a strong military that will be able to perform tasks at any moment, but also think about how much the world and the challenges in that world are changing - Minister Stefanović pointed out.

The defence of cyberspace, he also said, is becoming one of the biggest challenges of the future, and the Ministry of Defence has decided to initiate the process of forming a command for countering cyber attacks, which would include a large number of entities and be the state's principal body for this activity.
 
Stefanović singled out the research institutions’ work on innovative and technologically modern projects as one of the key things for the development of the defence system, and expressed his belief that the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces had people who could carry that out.

- My key message for you today is that the Republic of Serbia and its defence system are seriously thinking about the future, about all the challenges that the future brings and we are ready to respond to them - Minister Stefanović concluded.



At the end of the lecture, the Rector of the Defence University, Lieutenant General Goran Radovanović, Assoc. Prof. presented Minister Stefanović with the Plaque of the University of Defence, on behalf of all members of the University, as a sign of gratitude for the overall contribution to the improvement and development of military education.

- We are especially proud that, thanks to you, we are now prepared for the next school year at the National Defence School, that we have the school our country deserves and that future students of that school will have classes in the classrooms renovated this year - General Radovanović said.