John Harris: Satisfied with the visit to Serbia - the goal is to establish a strategic partnership

The Commander of the Ohio National Guard, Major General John Harris, expressed satisfaction with his visit to Serbia today, adding that the goal of cooperation with Belgrade was the establishment of a strategic partnership. He also stated that Washington would continue to support the EU in conducting negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina, as well as that he was pleased to see that the situation on the ground was calming down, RTV reported.

Harris told Tanjug that he greatly appreciated the fact that during his visit to Serbia, he had had the opportunity to meet with high-ranking officials, that he had visited the units on the field, and that he had participated in exercises.

"For me, the most important thing was the fact that I could participate in the promotion of new officers, it's something I've been doing for several years, it's a tradition between the Ohio National Guard and the Serbian Armed Forces," Harris reminded.

Speaking about equipping the Serbian Armed Forces (SAF) with the US Humvees, Harris said that the Serbian Army was modernizing very quickly and that he had seen a lot of new and modern equipment over the past week.

"The Humvee is a great example of such equipment, equipment that can be used in a variety of ways," he said, noting that these armored vehicles were most often used in disaster response and peacekeeping operations.

Harris stated that he was being visited by people who were participating in the exchange of best practices and who were helping and working with Serbian soldiers to improve both armies.

"There is an exchange of information on aviation safety, and medical personnel exchange best practices; we have a conference scheduled in Washington this year. That conference will be very important because it will set the direction for the future. We will continue to strengthen and empower our partnership," the US General announced.

When asked whether the signing of the Memorandum on Economic Cooperation between Ohio and the Serbian Chamber of Commerce would become an example for other US federal states, Harris replied that it was certain, that these agreements had been signed on the basis of trust and that he was optimistic about future partnerships.

"I think the strategic partnership is the goal and we should focus on it, in the meantime we continue to develop these exercises, participate in the exchange of knowledge, build this trust, and at some point we will reach a strategic partnership," Harris assesses.

When it comes to the role of the US in solving the Kosovo issue, he stated that Washington would continue to support the EU in conducting negotiations.

"I have to say that I am pleased to see that the situation on the ground is calming down, becoming less tense," Harris said, adding that it opened the door to potential dialogue and that he was optimistic about that.

When asked about the impact of the war in Ukraine on the situation in the Western Balkans, Harris said that the moves of Russian President Vladimir Putin had threatened security throughout Europe.

Harris said that he respected Serbia's military neutrality and the fact that it had joined the United Nations Resolution, in which it had condemned Russia's activities, as well as Belgrade's humanitarian work for the people of Ukraine.

"We cannot ignore the work of the people of Serbia to alleviate the suffering of the people of Ukraine, and I know that many Ukrainians came to Serbia to find refuge here," Harris said.