sd-head-sr

Strategic Document – Serbia – 2024

NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY: 2020
NATIONAL DEFENCE STRATEGY: 2020

NO CHANGES IN 2023

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National interests and goals (as defined in the Strategies):
Preserving sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity // Preserving internal stability and security // Protection of the Serbian people wherever they live // Preserving peace and stability in the region and the world // European integration and membership in the European Union

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Main threats:
Separatist aspirations // Ethnic and religious extremism // Covert activities of foreign factors // Organised crime // Illegal migration

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Main principles of national security policy:
Democratic standards // Cooperation policy // European foreign policy orientation // Military neutrality // Developing the concept of total defence

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Regional cooperation:
Regional security is increasingly based on joint and coordinated activities in the field of security, politics and economy, other areas aimed at preserving stability and preventing crises in this region, and on the common interest of the region’s countries to join the European Union. Activities within the framework of regional initiatives and the construction of joint mechanisms for the prevention of risks and threats, and for crisis management, create conditions for the accession of all countries in the region to the European Union.

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Regional threats:
Ethnic and religious alienation, and different interpretations and attempts to revise history, are creating limitations in the process of stabilising the region. Other factors that threaten regional security are non-military threats, including separatist aspirations and ethnic, religious and political extremism. The risk of outbreak of wars and other armed conflicts in Southeast Europe, although reduced, have not been eliminated.

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Relations with NATO:
The development of partnership cooperation between the Republic of Serbia and NATO, based on the policy of military neutrality and through the Partnership for Peace programme, contributes to the stability of the Republic of Serbia and contributes to bilateral relations with the countries of the region that are members of NATO. The Republic of Serbia does not intend to become a member of NATO or any other military-political alliance.

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Relations with the EU:
Improving national security and defence through the process of European integration contributes to the full membership of the Republic of Serbia in the European Union. (Serbia) is firmly committed to contributing to the European Union’s Common Foreign, Security and Defence Policy as part of the accession process and integrating into the concepts of that European policy.

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International military cooperation:
Through the participation of military and civilian capacities in multinational operations and missions of the United Nations, the European Union and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Republic of Serbia will improve its position as a reliable partner in international relations. Special attention will be paid to the trade in weapons and military equipment, because the suppression of illegal trade is a continuous commitment of the Republic of Serbia.

2024 – Balkan Defence Monitor
Strategic Documents – Serbia

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Women in Defence System – Serbia – 2024

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National Action Plan 1325:

In late 2022, the Ministry of Defence began the process of developing the third action plan with the support of the OSCE Mission to Serbia. However, the first meeting of the government Working Group for the preparation of the National Action Plan for the Implementation of Resolution 1325 of the United Nations Security Council was held in August 2023 1 without presenting a new draft that is publicly available. Considering the dynamics, it can be concluded that the process of evaluating the previous plan and creating a new plan lasted for four years, which is longer than the implementation of the second plan (2017-2020) and may be an indicator of the lack of genuine political commitment to prioritise the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.

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Participation of women in the MoDs and the Armed Forces:

Despite the fact that military service in Serbia is more popular among women than among men, the high turnout of women in military schools and academies has not yet translated into their overall representation in the defence sector. This means that the share of women among non-uniformed personnel (civilians) and uniform personnel in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and in the Serbian Armed Forces (SAF) remains almost unchanged compared to 2022. Currently, around 55% of women preform civilian duties, while 11% of women work as professional military personnel. Nonetheless, Serbia is among the top countries in the region with 18% of women serving as enlisted personnel. However, a similar progress is not visible among officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs), as only 12% of women serve as officers and 4% of women are NCOs. Still, a slight increase has been noted in all the categories compared to 2022.

In the previous period, there have been changes to the uniforms for female officers, non-commissioned officers and cadets which reflects efforts to improve the position of women in the military. 2

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Representation of women in command and leadership positions:

Little has changed in the representation of women in leadership positions, as 25% of women hold managerial positions in the MoD, while 7% of women hold command positions in the Serbian Armed Forces. The highest rank held by women in the Serbian Armed Forces is still that of colonel, and not a single woman has been promoted or appointed to a higher rank in the SAF and MoD based on the Decree passed at the beginning of 2023.3

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Participation of women in peacekeeping operations:

In 2023, Serbia contributed to eight peacekeeping missions, while women from the Army and police participated in two UN operations (UNFIL and MINUSCA) and two EU operations (EUTM Somalia and EUTM RCA). Compared to 2022, the participation of women in peacekeeping missions slightly decreased, and out of 295 members of peacekeeping forces, 38 women were sent abroad.

      1.  Republic of Serbia, Ministry of Defence, Meeting of Working Group responsible for drafting National Action Plan, 31 August 2023, https://www.mod.gov.rs/eng/20432/sastanak-radne-grupe-za-izradu-nacionalnog-akcionog-plana20432 https://balkandefencemonitor.com/women-in-defence-system-north-macedonia-2023/
      2. Balkan Investigative Network, “Žene vojnici u Srbiji dobijaju poseban donji veš,” [Female soldiers in Serbia receive special underwear], 18 September 2023, https://www.balkansec.net/post/%C5%BEene-vojnici-u-srbiji-dobijaju-poseban-donji-ve%C5%A1
      3. Republic of Serbia, Ministry of Defence, “Minister Vučević presents decrees on promotions and appointments,” 9 March 2023, https://www.mod.gov.rs/eng/19831/ministar-vucevic-urucio-ukaze-o-unapredjenjima-i-postavljenjima19831

2024 – Balkan Defence Monitor
Women In Defence System – Serbia

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International Military Cooperation – Serbia – 2024

MILITARY EXERCISES

In 2023, the participation of the Serbian Armed Forces in international exercises, either bilateral or multilateral, was shaped by the Serbian Government’s decision from late February 2022 to abort all activities related to planning, preparing and conducting the exercises with foreign partners. This decision was made in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, in 2023, the Serbian Government exempted “the Platinum Wolf 2023”, a military exercise co-organised by the United States European Command and Serbian Armed Forces and hosted by Serbia, from the 2022 decision, making it the only international military exercise in which Serbian Armed Forces participated in 2023.

DONATIONS

In 2023, Serbia signed four international agreements on donations, one with China and three with the US. It has not been specified whether these agreements have been implemented, but the data on their monetary value were disclosed in the response by the Serbian MoD. A major change compared to the previous years, when the US dominated as the military donor, is that this year’s donation from China exceeds all the US donations aggregate. In March 2023, Serbia and China signed an agreement on free military aid to Serbia valued at 50 million Chinese yuan or EUR 6.700.000. No other data on this donation were available, including its exact content of equipment and when the donation was implemented.

Within the Global Initiative for Peace Operations Fund, the US signed an agreement to donate USD 155.832 to the Serbian military to cover the warehousing and transportation expenses for assembly facilities. A protocol was signed for the US to donate military tents, “Shelter Base X307 16×35”, worth USD 75.232 to the Serbian Armed Forces. The US also signed an agreement to donate IT equipment worth USD 21.742,88 to the Serbian military.

TOP FOREIGN DONORS 2023

China
EUR 6.7 million

United States of America
USD 252.806,88

2024 – Balkan Defence Monitor
International Military Cooperation – Serbia

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Defence expenditure – Serbia – 2024

The observed trend of rise in Serbian defence expenditure since 2016 halted in 2022, with expenditures falling below the figures recorded in 2021. As the balance sheet for 2023 has not been adopted yet, the actual military expenditure for the year remains unavailable. Nevertheless, based on the most recent amendments to the Budget Law, it is anticipated that military spending in 2023 will be on the rise again, constituting an 8.05% share of the total expenditure.

2023

Share of GDP 2,05%
Share of total government
expenditure 8,05%

The National Assembly usually adopts the budget for the forthcoming year in early December. The planned budget for 2024 is decreased by almost 1.3% comparing to 2023.

 

Serbian budget is broken down into programmes, presenting budget funds for specific areas as well as different sources of funds. Despite that, the budget is not sufficiently disaggregated and detailed, which prevents comprehensive oversight. For instance, arms and equipment costs are not disaggregated by concrete projects, and it is thus impossible to connect them to individual procurement projects. Within the programme “Functioning of the MoD and the Serbian Army” the largest part of the budget is spent on the purchase of arms and equipment, without specifying which arms and which equipment. It should also be noted that the operating costs, including costs of maintenance, spare parts, fuel, and everything that is needed for training, exercise, and general building capabilities, are relatively low compared to the amount spent on purchase of arms and equipment. The information about the procurements can usually be found in MoD’s announcements, such as the announcement about procurement and modernization of 92 complex combat platforms for the needs of the Serbian Armed Forces, but even in those sources of information further details cannot be found.

2024 – Balkan Defence Monitor
Defence Expenditures – Serbia

2023-IMC-Serbia

International Military Cooperation – Serbia – 2023

MILITARY EXERCISES

In 2022, the Serbian Armed Forces did not participate in any international exercises, either bilateral or multilateral. The reason for this was the decision of the Government of the Republic of Serbia that the Armed Forces were to abort all activities related to planning, preparing and conducting exercises with foreign partners. This decision was a direct result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Before it was made, Serbia conducted exercises with both NATO and Russia, although always more with NATO members.

DONATIONS

The Serbian MoD reported only one donation in 2022 – of IT equipment valued at RSD 495,594 (slightly above EUR 4,215.70) – by the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), intended for promoting gender equality. Open-source research showed that Serbia also received medical equipment consisting of a 64 slice scanner and a mobile X-ray machine for the Military Medical Centre “Karaburma” from the US embassy. The value of this donation was never specified.

US donations 2022

South Eastern and Eastern Europe
Clearinghouse
EUR 4,215.70

2023 – Balkan Defence Monitor
International Military Cooperation – Serbia

2023-Woman-Serbia

Women in Defence System – Serbia – 2023

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National Action Plan 1325:

Serbia’s second Action Plan for the implementation of the Resolution 1325 expired in 2020. In 2022, the Ministry of Defence formed a new organisational unit within its human resources sector – the Gender Equality Office, with the aim of improving gender equality in the defence sector. The Office will be responsible for the preparation of the third action plan.

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Participation of women in the MoDs and the Armed Forces:

Military service recently became quite popular in Serbia, both among young women and young men. In the last two years, more girls than boys have enrolled in the Military Gymnasium and Military Vocational High School in Belgrade.1 Currently, there are 34% female cadets at the Military Academy, while at the Medical Faculty of the Military Medical Academy (VMA) the number of women is greater than 70%.

In principle, all positions are available to women and they are represented even in the special forces’ units such as the Military Police Detachment for Special Purposes – “Cobras” or the 72nd Special Operations Brigade of the Serbian Armed Forces. Statistics from the Ministry of Defence show that the share of women among
non-uniformed personnel (civilians) in the MoD and in the Serbian Armed Forces (SAF) is currently 54.23%, while the representation of women in the total number of professional military personnel is 10.59%. Similar to many other countries in the region, women are engaged mostly in civilian positions within the defence system. When it comes to the share of women among officers, non commissioned officers (NCOs) and soldiers, Serbia has the highest percentage of women who are professional soldiers – 17.66%. However, a similar trend is not present in the higher ranks, as only 10.24% of women serve as officers and 3.63% of women as NCOs. Still, a slight increase has been noted in all the categories compared to the previous “Balkan Defence Monitor”.

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Representation of women in command and leadership positions:

Women are still underrepresented in leadership positions, with 26.88% of them in managerial positions in the MoD and 6.23% holding command positions in the Serbian Armed Forces. The highest rank held by women in the Serbian Armed Forces is still that of Colonel. Serbia is still the only country that has never appointed a woman as defence minister.

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Participation of women in peacekeeping operations:

Currently, out of 283 members of the Serbian Armed Forces participating in four UN peacekeeping operations and three EU missions, 43 are women (15.09%). In 2022, there were 88 women in peacekeeping operations.

      1.    Vojkan Kostić, Vojni poziv u Srbiji sve popularniji među ženama [Military service is becoming ever more popular among women in Serbia], Balkan Security Network, 21 Jan 2023, https://www.balkansec.net/post/vojni-poziv-u-srbiji-sve-popularniji-me%C4%91u-%C5%BEenama

2023 – Balkan Defence Monitor
Women In Defence System – Serbia

2023-DE-Srbija

Defence expenditure – Serbia – 2023

Serbian defence expenditure kept gradually rising since 2016, with a sharpest increase in 2021. Military spending took up an increasing share of the total expenditure, from 4% in 2017 to almost 8% in 2022.

The National Assembly usually adopts the budget for the forthcoming year in early December. Balance sheets presenting the actual budget spending were late for 16 years, and the National Assembly retroactively adopted all of them in 2019.

2022

Share of GDP 2.15%
Share of total government
expenditure 7.67%

The Serbian defence budget undergoes major changes as the year progresses. Resources are allocated from budget reserves, predominantly for arms and equipment. In the absence of extraordinary circumstances that would require extreme measures, such radical increases indicate
lack of comprehensive defence planning.

 

Serbia has been applying programme budgeting since 2015. The budget is therefore broken down into programmes, presenting budget
funds for specific areas as well as different sources of funds. Still, the budget is not sufficiently disaggregated and detailed, which prevents comprehensive oversight. For instance, arms and expenditure
costs are not disaggregated by concrete projects, making it impossible to connect them to individual procurements.

As can be seen from the budget structure, the upsurge in the military budget is the result of increasing arms and equipment costs, but also a gradual increase in personnel costs since 2021. In line with the above, a trend of decreasing the amount of other costs (which includes maintenance and operational costs) can be observed.

2023 – Balkan Defence Monitor
Defence Expeditures – Serbia

2023-SD-Srbija

Strategic Document – Serbia – 2023

NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY: 2020
NATIONAL DEFENCE STRATEGY: 2020

NO CHANGES IN 2022

icon01

National interests and goals (as defined in the Strategies):
Preserving sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity // Preserving internal stability and security // Protection of the Serbian people wherever they live // Preserving peace and stability in the region and the world // European integration and membership in the European Union

icon02

Main threats:
Separatist aspirations // Ethnic and religious extremism // Covert activities of foreign factors // Organised crime // Illegal migration

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Main principles of national security policy:
Democratic standards // Cooperation policy // European foreign policy orientation // Military neutrality // Developing the concept of total defence

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Regional cooperation:
Regional security is increasingly based on joint and coordinated activities in the field of security, politics and economy, other areas aimed at preserving stability and preventing crises in this region, and on the common interest of the region’s countries to join the European Union. Activities within the framework of regional initiatives and the construction of joint mechanisms for the prevention of risks and threats, and for crisis management, create conditions for the accession of all countries in the region to the European Union.

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Regional threats:
Ethnic and religious alienation, and different interpretations and attempts to
revise history, are creating limitations in the process of stabilising the region. Other factors that threaten regional security are non-military threats, including separatist aspirations and ethnic, religious and political extremism. The risk of outbreak of wars and other armed conflicts in Southeast Europe, although reduced, have not been eliminated.

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Relations with NATO:
The development of partnership cooperation between the Republic of Serbia and NATO, based on the policy of military neutrality and through the Partnership for Peace programme, contributes to the stability of the Republic of Serbia and contributes to bilateral  relations with the countries of the region that are members of NATO. The Republic of Serbia does not intend to become a member of NATO or any other military-political alliance.

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Relations with the EU:
Improving national security and defence through the process of European integration contributes to the full membership of the Republic of Serbia in the European Union. (Serbia) is firmly committed to contributing to the European Union’s Common Foreign, Security and Defence Policy as part of the accession process and integrating into the concepts of that European policy.

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International military cooperation:
Through the participation of military and civilian capacities in multinational operations and missions of the United Nations, the European Union and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Republic of Serbia will improve its position as a reliable partner in international relations. Special attention will be paid to the trade in weapons and military equipment, because the suppression of illegal trade is a continuous commitment of the Republic of Serbia.

2023 – Balkan Defence Monitor
Strategic Documents – Serbia

Relations with NATO and the EU:
The development of partnership cooperation between the Republic of Serbia and NATO, based on the policy of military neutrality and through the Partnership for Peace programme, contributes to the stability of the Republic of Serbia and contributes to bilateral  relations with the countries of the region that are members of NATO. The Republic of Serbia does not intend to become a member of NATO or any other military-political alliance.

Serbia-SD-Baner

Strategic Document – Serbia – 2022

NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY: 2020
NATIONAL DEFENCE STRATEGY: 2020

icon01

National interests and goals (as defined in the Strategies):
Preserving sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity // Preserving internal stability and security // Protection of the Serbian people wherever they live // Preserving peace and stability in the region and the world // European integration and membership in the European Union

icon02

Main threats:
Separatist aspirations // Ethnic and religious extremism // Covert activities of foreign factors // Organised crime // Illegal migration

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Main principles of national security policy:
Democratic standards // Cooperation policy // European foreign policy orientation // Military neutrality // Developing the concept of total defence

icon04

Regional cooperation:
Regional security is increasingly based on joint and coordinated activities in the field of security, politics and economy, other areas aimed at preserving stability and preventing crises in this region, and on the common interest of the region’s countries to join the European Union. Activities within the framework of regional initiatives and the construction of joint mechanisms for the prevention of risks and threats, and for crisis management, create conditions for the accession of all countries in the region to the European Union.

icon05

Regional threats:
Ethnic and religious alienation, and different interpretations and attempts to
revise history, are creating limitations in the process of stabilising the region. Other factors that threaten regional security are non-military threats, including separatist aspirations and ethnic, religious and political extremism. The risk of outbreak of wars and other armed conflicts in Southeast Europe, although reduced, have not been eliminated.

icon06

Relations with NATO:
The development of partnership cooperation between the Republic of Serbia and NATO, based on the policy of military neutrality and through the Partnership for Peace programme, contributes to the stability of the Republic of Serbia and contributes to bilateral  relations with the countries of the region that are members of NATO. The Republic of Serbia does not intend to become a member of NATO or any other military-political alliance.

icon07

Relations with the EU:
Improving national security and defence through the process of European integration contributes to the full membership of the Republic of Serbia in the European Union. (Serbia) is firmly committed to contributing to the European Union’s Common Foreign, Security and Defence Policy as part of the accession process and integrating into the concepts of that European policy.

icon08

International military cooperation:
Through the participation of military and civilian capacities in multinational operations and missions of the United Nations, the European Union and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Republic of Serbia will improve its position as a reliable partner in international relations. Special attention will be paid to the trade in weapons and military equipment, because the suppression of illegal trade is a continuous commitment of the Republic of Serbia.

2022 – Balkan Defence Monitor
Strategic Documents – Serbia

Relations with NATO and the EU:
The development of partnership cooperation between the Republic of Serbia and NATO, based on the policy of military neutrality and through the Partnership for Peace programme, contributes to the stability of the Republic of Serbia and contributes to bilateral  relations with the countries of the region that are members of NATO. The Republic of Serbia does not intend to become a member of NATO or any other military-political alliance.

Serbia-DE-Baner

Defence expeditures – Serbia – 2022

Serbian defence expenditure gradually kept rising since 2016, to experience a sharp increase in 2021. Military spending took up an increasing share of the total expenditure, from 4% in 2017 to 8.6% the past year. The National Assembly usually adopts the budget for the forthcoming year in early December. Balance sheets presenting the actual budget spending were late for 16 years, and the National Assembly retroactively adopted all of them in 2019. The Serbian defence budget undergoes major changes in the course of the year.

2021

Share of GDP 2.42%
Share of total government
expenditure 8.61%

Resources are allocated from budget reserves, predominantly for arms and equipment. In the absence of extraordinary circumstances that would require extreme measures, such radical increases indicate lack of comprehensive defence planning. 

 

Serbia has been applying programme budgeting since 2015. The budget is therefore separated into programmes, presenting budget funds for specific areas as well as different sources of funds. Nevertheless, the budget is not sufficiently disaggregated and detailed, which prevents comprehensive oversight. For instance, arms and expenditure costs are not disaggregated by concrete projects, and it is thus impossible to connect them to individual procurements. As can be seen from the budget structure, the upsurge in the military budget is the result of increasing arms and equipment costs.

* Data for 2021 and 2022 are based on the last changes in the 2021 budgets and the initial budget laws for 2022.

2022 – Balkan Defence Monitor
Defence Expeditures – Serbia