During their meeting, the Minister for Defence stressed the fundamental role that the Republic of Serbia plays in the Balkan region as a guarantor of peace and stability. Furthermore, she acknowledged the continued efforts Serbia is making to establish the necessary reforms in its EU accession process. Both ministers agreed that Serbia will bring considerable added value to the European Union when the process is completed.
In the field of international cooperation, the two ministers discussed their involvement in multilateral organisations, such as: United Nations, European Union, NATO and OSCE, in order to strengthen the positions of Spain and the Republic of Serbia and to seek avenues for collaboration within these entities. In this context, the minister highly valued the contribution of the Republic of Serbia to the UN mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) within the Spanish contingent, where it has contributed to supervising the cessation of hostilities and ensuring humanitarian aid access to the civilian population and the safe return of displaced persons.
"The joint work of Serbia and Spain in Lebanon has proven to be beneficial for all parties, especially for the Lebanese themselves," said Minister Robles.
The meeting also reviewed the main agreements governing bilateral relations, such as the Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of Defence and the Memorandum of Understanding between the two Ministries on cooperation in the field of defence equipment, armaments and the defence industry.
In this regard, the Spanish minister thanked the Serbian authorities for their growing interest in technological cooperation in the defence industry, which promotes and strengthens the ties between the two countries.
At the end of the bilateral meeting between the two defence ministers, the Spanish Director General for Armaments and Material and the Serbian Deputy Minister for Material Resources signed a Letter of Intent with the aim of meeting a request from the Serbian Ministry of Defence to acquire C-295 military aircraft, manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space, in which Spain undertakes to provide support and assistance for this acquisition, which would be carried out by means of a government-to-government agreement.
With this signature, the collaboration between the two countries is strengthened and an export opportunity is given to the Spanish defence industry.
Non official translation
