BELGRADE, June 9. /TASS/. Moscow and Belgrade will continue further developing their military and technical cooperation with the appointment of Major-General Alexander Zinchenko as Russia’s military attache in Serbia, the Serbian Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday.
The ministry made this statement, following a working meeting attended by Serbian Assistant Defense Minister Milan Rankovic, Russian current military attache Colonel Andrei Sobakin and his replacement Major-General Alexander Zinchenko.
"The appointment of Major-General Zinchenko, the first general in the post of the military attache of the Russian Federation in Belgrade is a clear sign of exceptionally developed relations of the two friendly countries and also of the significance, which Russia attaches to defense cooperation with the Republic of Serbia," the statement says.
"The historical roots and the traditional closeness of the two peoples, and also the open and sincere relations of the presidents and defense ministers of both countries provide the basis for new results, especially in the defense sphere," according to the statement.
The Serbian assistant defense minister stated the readiness to carry through a number of planned joint measures in the sphere of military and technical cooperation, including joint drills, and also the participation of the Balkan country’s military personnel in the International Army Games. Also, 75 Serbian troops will take part in the Victory Parade on Moscow’s Red Square on June 24.
In turn, General Zinchenko "thanked the Serbian side for the hearty welcome and confirmed the exceptionally good cooperation of the two countries and armies, stressing that the defense relations would develop further in the upcoming period."
From 2018 to February 2020, Russia handed over to Serbia four Russian-made Mi-35M helicopters, six MiG-29 fighter jets, ten BRDM-2 reconnaissance and patrol armored vehicles, three Mi-17V-5 transport helicopters, and also Pantsyr-S1 air defense missile systems as part of its military and technical assistance to the Balkan country.
Russia also plans to deliver 30 T-72 tanks and 20 BRDM-2 reconnaissance and patrol armored vehicles to Serbia.