An investigative report by BIRN (April 29, 2026) has revealed the extensive details of a “General Security Agreement on the Exchange and Mutual Protection of Classified Defense Information” between the governments of Serbia and Israel.
The agreement was fast-tracked through the Serbian Parliament’s Defense Committee, allowing for immediate temporary application before a formal vote. Serbian officials cited the “urgent delivery of military equipment” as the primary reason for the rush.
Key Provisions of the Agreement
The pact establishes a highly restrictive legal and operational framework for military cooperation, bypasses traditional judicial oversight, and grants Israeli security agencies access to Serbian territory.
- Extra-Judicial Dispute Resolution: Both countries have agreed that any disputes arising from this pact will not be subject to national or international courts or tribunals. Disputes must be settled privately between the two ministries.
- Surveillance and Inspections: The agreement grants Malmab (Israel’s Director of Security for the Defense Establishment) the right to send security delegations to Serbia for periodic inspections of facilities and personnel.
- Total Secrecy: Neither party is permitted to publicly disclose any information regarding mutual cooperation, joint ventures, or hardware transfers without written consent from the other.
- Scope: The pact covers state-owned enterprises, private defense contractors, individual employees, and consultants involved in joint military projects.
The Multi-Billion Dollar Hardware Link
The urgency behind this secrecy pact is tied to massive arms contracts between Belgrade and the Israeli defense giant Elbit Systems.
| Timeline | Transaction Details | Value |
| Early 2025 | Advanced artillery systems and drones. | $335 Million |
| August 2025 | Long-range missiles, Electronic Warfare (EW) systems, and drones. | $1.6 Billion |
| 2026 (Planned) | Joint production of drones on Serbian territory. | TBD |
Furthermore, Serbia’s own arms exports to Israel have increased 42-fold since 2023, reaching €114 million last year, despite international calls for an arms embargo due to the conflict in Gaza.
Political Backlash and Concerns
The agreement has met fierce resistance from the Serbian opposition, specifically the Green-Left Front (ZLF).
Bogdan Radovanović (ZLF MP) raised several alarms:
- Sovereignty: He questioned whether Israeli intelligence (Mossad/Malmab) would now have “jurisdiction” to operate on Serbian soil under the guise of “mutual protection.”
- Ethical Concerns: Radovanović emphasized that signing such a pact is “reckless” given the ongoing accusations of genocide in Gaza and UN calls to halt weapons deliveries to Israel.
- Lack of Transparency: Opposition members claim the Ministry of Defense provided zero detailed explanations for the “urgency” of the pact during the committee session.
Context: The “Malmab” Factor
In Israel, the agreement is managed by Malmab (DSDE), a secretive body within the Ministry of Defense that acts with intelligence-gathering capabilities abroad, specifically focused on protecting technological secrets and obtaining foreign technical data. Its direct involvement in Serbian defense oversight marks a significant shift in Belgrade’s security protocols.
As Serbia prepares to receive $1.6 billion worth of sophisticated Israeli hardware, this “General Security Agreement” ensures that the details of the technology, the training, and the eventual deployment remain shielded from both the Serbian public and international monitoring bodies.
