Armies in the Balkans show co-operation in crisis situations

Armies in the Balkans show co-operation in crisis situations

Co-operation demonstrated by armed forces proves valuable in managing natural disasters, experts and officials agree.

Armed forces in the Western Balkans have had an important role in overcoming emergency situations, such as the recent flooding in Bosnia and Hercegovina (BiH), Croatia and Serbia, as they assisted crisis management teams and citizens to save people, livestock and property.

According to Major Jovan Krivokapic, spokesperson at Serbian Ministry of Defence, Serbian armed forces members have been engaged in several crisis situations during 2014.

Armed forces in the Balkans played a crucial role in helping Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Croatia and Serbia save people, livestock and property during the recent floods. [Nikola Barbutov/SETimes]

"We have participated in unblocking of the roads blocked by snow and in evacuation of threatened citizens in Vojvodina, after that in the construction of an alternative water supply in Uzice as well as on water supplying in other municipalities in Serbia. "During the May floods, which were the biggest natural disaster in the last 100 years in Serbia, thousands of soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers were involved," Krivokapic told SETimes.

"Assisting citizens during earthquakes, floods, snowstorms and other natural disasters is certainly one of the key reasons why the Serbian army enjoys great trust of the citizens for many years, as evidenced by the various surveys of public opinion," Maja Bjelos, a researcher at the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, told SETimes.

She added that despite the fact that the Serbian army does not have enough resources, it is ready to react in emergency...