Vucevic announces exclusively: Today we are launching initiative to introduce compulsory military service

Photo: Tanjug/MO VS

Minister of Defense Milos Vucevic spoke for Happy TV to announce the cancellation of the suspension of compulsory military service in Serbia, reports Dnevnik.rs.

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"It is very important that according to the decision of the Government and the president, as of January 1, salaries (in the military) are 10 percent higher, and we ended 2023 much stronger in terms of military equipment and the level of training. All of that will be one of the key topics when we submit a report to the president at the end of the month. At the end of January, we will have a long and thorough meeting.

What I want to say exclusively, the General Staff of the Serbian Army will today launch an initiative to the president of Serbia, as the commander-in-chief, and then through a broader discussion to the National Assembly, to cancel the decision on the suspension of mandatory military service, i.e. to reactivate legal provisions, the law that defines mandatory military service. Along with that, the proposal of the Ministry of Defense is also about the fact that military service should not be longer than four months," he announced.

According to him, that is a matter for expert services of the Ministry of Defense to decide.

"Why is our initiative to activate (compulsory service)? Because an assessment of security in the country has been made. After 13 years, we have a need to fill up the reserves. 13 generations were left out of the Army, there was no mandatory service.

Our security needs are to have new recruits who are always ready to protect the country. We understand security risks. This is not only a need that is characteristic of Serbia, many European countries are activating mandatory military service," stressed Vucevic.

(Telegraf.rs)