Fr. / Eng.
/ Srp.
Serbia is one of newest members of the Partnership for Peace (PfP), joining in December 2006. Within this framework, NATO and Serbia are developing cooperation with a focus on democratic, institutional and defence reforms, as well as practical cooperation in other areas. Serbia is working on an Individual Partnership Programme (IPP) which will set out its cooperation with NATO.
In its PfP Presentation Document submitted to NATO in September 2007, Serbia indicates its intention to become an active participant in the Partnership for Peace. NATO stands ready to further develop an ambitious and substantive relationship with Serbia, making full use of its PfP membership. The country is expected to cooperate fully with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Kosovo is of course a key subject in NATO's dialogue with Serbia. The Alliance intervened militarily in early 1999 to bring an end to ethnic repression in Kosovo, subsequently deploying the NATO-led Kosovo peacekeeping force (KFOR) to provide a safe and secure environment and facilitate reconstruction. KFOR remains crucial to guarantee security in Kosovo and will remain in Kosovo on the basis of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 to ensure a safe and secure environment, including freedom of movement for all people, unless the United Nations Security Council decides otherwise.
Serbia is in the process of drafting its first Individual Partnership Programme (IPP). Areas of cooperation, and specific events which Serbia wishes to participate in will be detailed in this document, which is jointly agreed with NATO for a two-year period. Already prior to becoming a formal Partner, Serbia conducted limited security and defence reform cooperation with NATO, and military officers and civilians were allowed to participate in a number of NATO PfP courses. The Serbian armed forces have also cooperated with KFOR for a number of years through the Joint Implementation Council (JIC).
More…Relations with Serbia have steadily improved since the Kosovo crisis. In 2001, the Allies worked with the new democratic government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in stemming the violence in southern Serbia. In 2003, Belgrade formally applied to join PfP. Cooperation continued, and a transit agreement for forces operating in Kosovo was signed by the country in July 2005. The Allies invited Serbia to join the Partnership for Peace (PfP) at the November 2006 Riga Summit. The country formally joined the Partnership in December of that same year and the Allies opened a new Military Liaison Office in Belgrade.
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