The Serbian government supports the return of compulsory military service

2024-09-20 19:48:02, Kosova & Bota CNA

On Friday, the Serbian government started the procedures for the return of compulsory military service in the country, 13 years after it was abolished.

In a press release, the Serbian Government said it has approved a resolution, according to which a working group will be formed to "review activities and measures" for compulsory military service.

This decision supports the proposal of the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vu?i?, who also participated in the Government session on Friday.

Vucic announced on September 14 that he had signed the agreement to perform regular military service for 75 days.

Military service will be compulsory for men, while voluntary for women, according to the Government.

Before the Government's decision on Friday, the Serbian leader said that ministers have supported his proposal for the return of compulsory military service.

"I emphasized that this is a big thing for Serbia, not only for the protection of the country, but also because it will strengthen the sense of responsibility and seriousness among young people, which they will need for everything they will encounter in civil life", said Vucic on Instagram.

He added that "the cities and municipalities where the barracks are located will also benefit from the mandatory military service, because these areas will grow economically and will progress and develop even faster".

During a visit to the Armed Forces of Serbia, Vucic also said that military service will take much less time than in the past.

"[The length of service] is five times shorter than in our time, and I must not say that it will necessarily be much easier to perform it than it was in our time, but also the whole discipline is much more smaller than before", he told reporters.

The idea for the return of compulsory military service was concretized in January of this year. At that time, the General Staff of the Serbian Army launched an initiative and proposed to the President of Serbia the return of military service.

With the Constitution of Serbia and the Law on the Army, the President of Serbia commands the Serbian Army in war and in peace.

Compulsory military service in Serbia was abolished on January 1, 2011

Neighboring Croatia also took the decision to restore military service, starting next year./ REL