MILITARY EXERCISES
Serbia is specific in the region because it maintains military cooperation both with NATO and Russia. Hence, in 2021, Serbia participated in 14 exercises with NATO members and partners and 4 with Russia. In 2019, there were 5 exercises with Russia and 23 with NATO members.
Besides the pandemic, Serbia’s military cooperation in 2020 was interrupted by the decision to freeze all activities with international partners for 6 months. In order to avoid sending its representatives to an exercise in Belarus amid the controversial presidential elections aftermath in the summer of 2020, but also to preserve good relations with its Russian and Belarus partners, Serbia decided to suspend its activities with all international partners.
DONATIONS
In the past three years, Serbia received substantial donations from Russia and Belarus (30 T-72MS tanks and 30 BRDM-2MS armoured vehicles from Russia, four MIG-29 fighter jets from Belarus). However, their value has not been disclosed to the public. According to an MoD response to BCSP’s request for information of public importance, information about the donations from Russia and Belarus are regarded as foreign classified data, entrusted by another state to be kept confidential.
Top foreign donors (2019-2020)
United States of America (EUR 13,261,918)
China (EUR 755,000)
Republic of Korea (EUR 167,425)
