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Russian defense minister proposes joint airborne troops drills in Serbia in 2016

The Serbian troops’ participation in the 2015 International Army Games in Russia has also contributed to their higher combat preparedness, Russia’s Defense Minister said

MOSCOW, August 17. /TASS/. Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has proposed holding a joint tactical exercise of Russian and Serbian airborne troops’ special forces in Serbia next year, Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said on Monday.

The Russian defense minister made this proposal at a meeting with his Serbian counterpart Bratislav Gasic.

"Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has proposed to his Serbian counterpart to hold a joint tactical exercise of Russian and Serbian airborne troops’ special forces in Serbia next year," Antonov said.

At their meeting, the defense ministers of Russia and Serbia paid special attention to the Slavic Brotherhood-2015 joint military exercises of land troops, Airborne and Aerospace Defense Forces, which will be held in Russia in September. Belarusian troops will also take part in the drills.

The previous Russian-Serbian military exercises took place in Serbia in October 2014 and were among the most significant practical events, Antonov said.

Along with Russian-Serbian military drills, the Serbian troops’ participation in the 2015 International Army Games in Russia has also contributed to their higher combat preparedness, Antonov said.

"It is not accidental that Serbian tank units performed better this year than last year and took a prize place," the Russian deputy defense minister said, adding he hoped that Serbia would take part in other kinds of military competitions next year.