US backs Serbia in this area, plans to help in the future

However, press official Eric Heyden told Serbian media medium “Blic” that the US has received security from Serbia's Defence Ministry and from the Serbian Army General Staff (VS) that Serbian deminors would not be sent to Syria, reports “b92”, Periscopi broadcast.

According to “Blic”, this was one of the reasons for a recent spasm between US Ambassador Kyle Scott and Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin.

“Blic correctly reported that the United States government gave important donations in money, equipment and training to help the Serbian Army escape the remaining war mines and thus make Serbia safer, so over the past 15 years, we have offered more than $20m aid for mine-clearing operations in Serbia. In our last joint exercise, in April 2017, the US government donated about $450,000 in medical equipment and in the demining procedures for the Serbian Army to improve its” said Hayden, according to “Blic”.

In April 2017, when the Defence Ministry was headed by Zoran Djordjevic, it announced that the Serbian Army would participate in the demining operations in Syria next year.

However, Heyden says the American side received guarantees from Serbia's Defence Ministry that this would not happen.

He added that the United States already has plans for next year to continue helping to develop the Serbian Army's capacity in the project.

“Like the Ministry of Defence, we consider it important that Serbia's entire territory be secure for life and trade”, the American Embassy representative said, and added that they received security when work was completed in Serbia./Periscopi/