General Harris: Serbia is an extremely important player in the region, the US wants to cooperate closely with Belgrade

As someone who cares deeply about Serbia's future, it has been disheartening for me to watch the progress made toward normalizing relations between Serbia and Kosovo threatened by escalating tensions. The future of Serbia, of course, is in the European Union, and getting there will require resolving this issue, Major General John Harris, the Adjutant General of the Ohio National Guard, says in an exclusive interview for "USerbia Daily."

Major General Harris emphasizes that Serbia is an extremely important player in the region and plays a critical role in maintaining peace. He mentions that Ohio's partnership with Serbia since 2006 is one of the many ways the United States demonstrates its commitment to working closely together.

"Serbia is an extremely important player in the region and Ohio is fortunate to have been partnered with Serbia's professional and dedicated military since 2006. I cannot underscore enough Serbia's critical role in ensuring peace and stability in the region. Ohio's partnership with Serbia is one of many ways the United States demonstrates its commitment to work closely together, to be on the same side, and to address not just regional but global challenges together as partners. Serbia has a solid reputation contributing to global peacekeeping missions and I am thrilled to see that the Serbian and American soldiers have deployed side by side to the Sinai as part of the MFO mission. It is a positive sign of things to come, and I am optimistic about the positive trajectory of our cooperation," Major General Harris says.

Does the war in Ukraine also affect stability in the Western Balkans?

Russia's war in Ukraine has reverberated globally, and particularly in Europe. Facing the specter of a full-scale war once again on the European continent—something many thought was behind us—has forced Europe to reshape its security architecture and brought the U.S. and its allies closer together, with a new, much sharper focus. The same way this war has brought Euro-Atlantic community closer, I hope it will bring Serbia closer to Europe and to the US. Serbia has joined the overwhelming majority of the international community in condemning Russia's brutal invasion in the UN and other international fora. Serbs also recognize the terrible human cost of Russia's war and have donated extensive humanitarian aid.  All of that is commendable, and Serbia should be proud it has chosen to stand on the right side of history with respect to this awful war.  In terms of military cooperation, the Ohio National Guard has been a dedicated security cooperation partner to Serbia for 17 years now. Serbia can count on us and our partnership, and my hope is that this will factor in Serbia's decision about who they want to rely on as predictable and reliable partners in the future.

Your comment on the current situation in Kosovo. How important is the role of the USA in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina?

For regional stability, we need peaceful, constructive, and predictable relations among neighbors. As someone who cares deeply about Serbia's future, this is why it has been disheartening for me to watch the progress made toward normalizing relations between Serbia and Kosovo threatened by escalating tensions. Serbia's future is of course in the European Union, and getting there will require resolving this issue. The Dialogue is the last, best option to achieve this, and that's why the U.S. so strongly supports the efforts of the European Union negotiation team that is driving it. On matters of peace and security, the EU and the U.S. have never been closer and more focused than we are now on realizing the promise of the post-WWII European project – a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace. That Europe must include the Western Balkans, which is why the U.S. and the EU are working hard to return the parties to the Dialogue to ensure the implementation of the agreements reached to date. 

Serbia and the USA recently agreed on delivering 118 Humvees to the Serbian Army. The first 66 were provided. How do you view the cooperation between Serbia and the USA in that aspect, and do you expect the Serbian Army to be modernized with equipment from the USA in the future?

We are excited that the Serbian Army received their first batch of the HMMWV or commonly known as the "Humvee". These light armored military vehicles have been a crucial part of the US military's ground feet for decades and have been popular in the US and among our allies. Serbia acquiring these vehicles is a welcome sign of increased cooperation. I am confident these vehicles will bolster Serbian army. Ohio plans to cooperate with Serbia on HMMWV maintenance and if Serbia's interest in other US military equipment grows, it will present more opportunities and new areas of cooperation. In Ohio, we take pride in showcasing our equipment to partners, including our aircraft fleet - with hopes that further cooperation will lead to more interoperability between us and our Serbian partners.

Serbia and the USA have already conducted several joint exercises this year - Cyber ​​Tesla, Platinum Wolf, and joint helicopter exercises. How much do those exercises contribute to better relations between Washington and Belgrade, and are some more activities planned for the end of the year?

For me, it is simple - the more opportunities to train and practice together, the better and stronger we are in maintaining regional peace and stability. These exercises represent the backbone of security cooperation between the United States and Serbia, and I am proud of what we have accomplished in the last 17 years. Ohio is a trusted partner and friend. Given Serbia’s decision to introduce a pause on military drills with other nations due to the war in Ukraine, we welcomed Serbia's decision to resume exercises with Ohio National Guard and multinational forces in exercise Platinum Wolf. My hope is that Serbia will fully resume exercises soon. Events we have left for this calendar year include civil-military multilateral seminar, expert talks, medical and engineering engagements, and rotary wing operations.

How do you evaluate the cooperation between the National Guard of Ohio and Serbia?

If I were to describe the cooperation between the Ohio National Guard and the Serbian Armed Forces in just two words, I would say 'robust' and 'enduring'. Just this year, we had nearly 40 joint events ranging from small-scale, subject expert exchanges to a large Platinum Wolf exercise where over 100 Ohio National Guard members participated. Our cooperation takes on many different forms – cyber, engineering, medical, disaster response, chaplaincy, military education, NCO development and technical training. This speaks to the level of trust and respect we have for one another and how we truly value our partnership. I have said this many times before; this partnership runs deeper than many people realize or expect. It has led to true friendships among soldiers and airmen, and military leadership as well. My wife and I were honored to host General Mojsilovic, his wife and his entire delegation in Ohio in February. And the plan for me is to be in Belgrade in September and continue our invaluable discussions about the future of our partnership. It is important that our cooperation grows even stronger in the face of current and future security challenges.

A delegation from the Ohio National Guard led by Major General Harris and an economic delegation from the US state of Ohio will arrive in Belgrade today. Over the next few days, at the initiative of Serbian Ambassador to Washington Marko Djuric, an agreement on economic cooperation between Serbia and Ohio will also be signed.