Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced that he has signed an agreement for the reinstatement of mandatory military service for a period of 75 days.
“I want to believe that the Serbian Government will approve this decision,” Vucic said on September 14 during the promotion ceremony for new officers of the Serbian Armed Forces.
“I want to believe that everyone understands how much we need a strong army, how many more weapons we will need to buy and produce, because it is not our desire to attack anyone nor will we do so. But our desire is to deter anyone who threatens us every day without fear,” he added, without specifying who is threatening Serbia.
The day before, Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević said that the Serbian Government is ready, if a political and social agreement is reached, to quickly submit the draft law for the return of military service to the Serbian Parliament.
“In 2025, when the administrative and logistical conditions are met, we will begin [mandatory military service],” Vucevic said.
The neighboring Croatia has also announced that starting January 1, 2025, it will reinstate mandatory military service with a duration of two months.
In Serbia, mandatory military service was abolished on January 1, 2011, after which only those who wish to join the military do so voluntarily.
European countries that have not abolished mandatory military service include Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Austria, Turkey, Estonia, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Greece, and Cyprus./REL/
