Expert discussion on draft National Security Strategy and Defence Strategy

Key changes in the orientation of Serbia's security and foreign policy and their consequences in practice will be the focus of the conference organized by BCSP as a contribution to the public debate on the drafts of strategic documents that are currently underway.

The discussion will be held on Tuesday, May 8th, from 11am in the Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia Conference hall  (Trg Nikole Pašića 5, Belgrade).

Speakers:

• Jelena Pejic, Researcher, Belgrade Centre for Security Policy
• Tanja Jakobi, Executive Director, The Public Policy Research Centre
• dr Igor Novakovic, Research Director, ISAC Fund
• Andja Petkovic, Project Manager, Center for Euro-Atlantic Studies
• dr Marko Savkovic, Program Director, Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence
• Goran Tepsic, Faculty of Political Sciences, Center for Peace Studies 

• Moderator: dr Filip Ejdus, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Political Sciences

The discussion will be divided into three segments:

Security challenges, threats and risks

• What are the key changes in the new strategic documents and what consequences will they cause in practice?
• What are the biggest threats to the security of Serbia and its citizens and are they recognized in the drafts of strategic documents?
• Is the threat of external aggression more pronounced than in 2009?

Foreign and security and political orientation of Serbia

• What does the introduction of military neutrality in the strategy mean? Is military neutrality sustainable?
• Are the drafts of strategic documents in line with the EU foreign and security policy?

New architecture of the national security system

• A New National Security System: Without the judiciary and independent state authorities? (in the draft of the new National Security Strategy the national security system is divided into the governing and executive part. The governing part consists of the National Assembly, the President of the Republic, the Government and the National Security Council).
• Unlike the current National Security Strategy, the draft does not recognize professionalism, impartiality and political neutrality as the principles of functioning of the national security system. Why did this come about and what kind of consequences could it bring in practice?
• What are the expectations from the Action Plan for the implementation of the National Security Strategy, which should be adopted after the Strategy?

 

A public debate on the recently published draft strategic documents is open until May 15th.