Interview with Chief of General Staff for Press daily

Military is pride of Serbia ... and its firm bulwark against terrorism

There may be attempts to spill over terrorism, but we have the power to prevent it, Chief of General Staff Ljubisa Dikovi? states in a large interview on the occasion of 23 April, the newly established Armed Forces Day

Lieutenant General Ljubisa Dikovic came at the head of the Serbian Armed Forces four months ago. He rarely appears in public. Among the officers he is known as strict and fair, which fits in the opinion of the Minister of Defence Dragan Sutanovac, who called him "sharp and righteous sword" when he recommended him.

In his interview for Press, Dikovic analyses in what condition the Serbian Armed Forces celebrates 23 April, the Armed Forces Day, which was established as a new holiday immediately after his arrival at the head of the General Staff.

- The Serbian Armed Forces has the required level of operational capabilities. We are ready to perform all the missions and tasks set before us by Serbia. We have a clear vision and perspective of future development. We set high goals, confident that we can reach them. We are executing a large number of regular tasks, among which I would single out those relating to the Ground Safety Zone, individual and unit training, exercises at the national and international levels... At the moment we are intensively preparing to celebrate our day with dignity!

You have been four months at the head of the Serbian Armed Forces? How satisfied are you and what are you proud of, and what is it you plan to change and improve?

- Yes, it has been four months, time passes quickly. I found a good situation and me myself as the Army Commander have contributed to the creation of such a situation. I am proud of all the members of the SAF who are diligent in their service and are working hard. I am proud of their families, the wives who often substitute fathers. I am proud of the military collectives, teams of professional and honest people who are working on strengthening the Serbian Armed Forces. It would not be good if the leaders were fully satisfied with the institutions they lead, because then there would be no desire for progress. There is a room for improving the situation in the Serbian Armed Forces and you can be sure that my colleagues and I use this to improve the defence system.

You are the first Chief of General Staff of a fully professionalized military. How does a professional army operate, is the reform really finished?

- The first Chief of General Staff of the professionalised SAF was General Miletic. Serbian Armed Forces works very well, but the reform has not been completed yet. We live in a time of rapid changes; nowadays there happen more changes in one year than it used to happen before in 10 years. Conditions are constantly changing, and the military must adapt to them and to follow the contemporary trends. That is why reform is a continuous process, and its goal is to always be able to respond to new conditions. We are to fine tune the system and regroup the gravity within the arms and services, with the aim of developing what is necessary.

The number of women in the Serbian Armed Forces has greatly increased. Are the ladies in the professional armed forces up to the task?

- Since 2009 to date, the Serbian Armed Forces hired more than 6,500 citizens, 14 percent of the admitted being women. At the level of the entire Armed Forces we have about 8.5 percent of women, while in the Ministry of Defence female employees account for about 20 percent. There were, and still are sceptics on the issue of women in the military. People sometimes tend to build opinion about someone and something without checking in practice, based on assumptions. The women broke all the prejudices and showed that they are able to be professional soldiers and officers. I do not divide the soldiers to women and men. For my colleagues and me, there is good and less good soldier, and the gender does not matter. Our soldiers are up to the task, and it essentially depends on the leader, that is commander. Like commander like soldier.

How much are you satisfied with the training in the professionalised military?

- Training is a huge area that is difficult to put in limits. It develops, modifies, has elasticity and firmness. It could always be better, different. This is a big challenge for all of us in the military and our key task. The training prepares people for something that will happen, not for something that has happened. On the other hand, what has happened must remain present in the form of experience - bad not to be repeated, and what was good to be further applied. There is a need for change, particularly in the training of NCOs and officers, because the one who trains must be proficient. In the military, the knowledge wins.

And what about the technique and equipment? Some of these are even three decades old. What is needed to be acquired as soon as possible?

- As for the equipment, I am both satisfied and not satisfied. As a professional – I am not simply because I want my soldier to be equipped as the German, Russian or American ones, and I know that our economy and economic potential are not German, Russian or American. The only rational approach is to reconcile the desires and capabilities. The question is what is rational now, in these conditions – to earmark 1.5 billion euros for 10-12 airplanes or to invest that money into the economy and employ 50,000 people, and in several years to buy 3-4 planes from the profit? Also, it is clear that the defence of the country is priceless. Our priorities are assets and systems for the Air Force and Air Defence and further acquisition according to the model of equipping the M21 infantry soldier. I emphasize that we, despite the economic crisis, have made significant advances in acquisitions, especially when it comes to equipping with the modern communication systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, safety equipment, 5.56 mm rifles... We procured "Lasta" aircraft for training of pilots and "Piper Seneca" plane for aerial survey. We equipped the Special Brigade, our elite unit, with high end weapons and equipment.

What is the situation in the Ground Safety Zone? Can there be overflow of Albanian terrorism from Kosovo?

- The situation in the Ground Safety Zone is stable, with possibility of getting complicated. Our assessments are that there may be attempts of spillover of terrorism, but we have the power to prevent it. My advice to anyone thinking about something like this is not to play with endangering the security of Serbia through terrorism, or in any other way. This is the first mission of the military, the reason we exist is to protect the security of the Republic of Serbia and the meaning of everything we do is just to preserve the security. We are open to cooperation on all issues, but we are also ready to answer to our unique role.

What is the cooperation with KFOR?

- Cooperation with KFOR is professional and comprehensive. It is entirely in terms of strengthening the security. In the area of Kosovo KFOR is the only entity that is relevant for this kind of cooperation with the Serbian Armed Forces.

How many members of the Serbian Armed Forces are in peace operations, and where? Why is this important?

- Currently 67 of our members are deployed in five UN missions and one EU mission. They are contributing to peace in Liberia, Congo, Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Somalia and Cyprus. This is raising credibility in the world not only of the military, but also of the entire Serbia that develops cooperation with other countries and strengthens its diplomatic position. Participation in peacekeeping missions is the necessity. Can a lonely man, without any help from others, do everything for himself? He cannot! Nor can the Serbian Armed Forces close itself and observe what goes on from Serbia only. We must be at the source of events, follow the development of military thought and practice, global trends and contemporary flows in the field of security and defence.

What is the cooperation between the Serbian Armed Forces and the militaries of the countries of the region like? Who in Europe and the world is the one that we have the best cooperation with?

- We relay a lot on the regional military cooperation. To illustrate, when I became Chief of General Staff the first foreign colleague with whom I met was the Chief of General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces. After that, Chief of General Staff of the Macedonian Army stayed in Belgrade, and I visited Slovenia and talked with the Chief of General Staff of their military. It is not easy to answer the question with whom we have the best cooperation, because we cooperate with many countries in various fields. By its intensity, cooperation between the Serbian Armed Forces and the Ohio National Guard within the State Partnership between Serbia and the USA stands out, but I cannot but to mention cooperation with the armed forces of all the countries in the Southeastern Europe, Russia, China, Scandinavian countries and others ...

What are the priorities of the Serbian Armed Forces in the future?

- Our priority in the future is acquisition of modern weapons and equipment, development of training system, further promotion of regional military cooperation and participation in peacekeeping operations led by United Nations and the European Union.

Do you watch the TV series "Military Academy"?

- Yes, I regularly watch that series. I am sure that every officer of the Serbian Armed Forces in the series recognises a part of their growing. I can also recognize myself in one of the characters, and which one is it, we will talk about it some other time ... During my studies there were no women in the Military Academy, but there were students of the Faculty of Political Sciences who studied at the Military Academy.

I felt bitterness and charm of the profession

You are known as very strict and demanding commander, but also a just one. What do you say to that?

- I leave comments about myself to others. I am not a man without fault. I passed all the duties in the army, felt bitterness and charm of the profession and I know very well what a soldier can do, and what a commander can do. Working with people is something special, people are our pearls. You must not make mistakes against people, you must understand them, provide them conditions and allow them to work and you must ask them for the results. I do not spare neither myself nor the others when it comes to the welfare of the Serbian Armed Forces and the state. Order and discipline must be our companion, because only in conditions of high level of organization, consistent requirements and selfless care of people, technology, unit and the military as a whole, each member of the SAF can confirm himself in his profession. This is the Serbian soldier and the Serbian Armed Forces.

You sued Natasa Kandic for the allegations connecting you with the war crimes?

- As for the claims and falsehoods presented by the Human Rights Fund, the court will tell.