NATO Military Liaison Office Belgrade
Mission/Mandate
The primary mission of the Military Liaison Office is to serve as a link with the military authorities of Serbia on the practical aspects of the implementation of the Transit Agreement between NATO and Serbia, which was signed on 18 July 2005. The Transit Agreement provides for the movement of NATO troops serving as part of the KFOR mission in Kosovo to pass through Serbian territory. The Office also facilitates Serbian participation in activities in the framework of the Partnership for Peace Programme and provides assistance to NATO's public diplomacy activities in the region and the work of the Serbia/NATO Defence Reform Group.
Facts/Figures
MLO consists of 9 personnel (7 military and 2 civilian)
History/Progress
Serbia applied for PfP membership in 2003 and was granted full membership in 2006. It has benefited from PfP trust fund activities such as: the decommissioning of 28,000 small arms, the removal of 1.4 million anti personnel mines from its territory and projects to develop alternative livelihoods for former servicemen.
In 2009 Serbia agreed its first Individual Partnership Programme with NATO. Areas of cooperation and specific events in which Serbia wishes to participate are detailed in this document, which is jointly agreed with NATO.
Already prior to becoming a formal Partner, Serbia conducted limited security and defence reform cooperation with NATO, and military officers and civilians were allowed to participate in a number of NATO PfP courses and exercises. The Serbian armed forces have also cooperated with KFOR for many years through the Joint Implementation Council (JIC), based on the 1999 Military Technical Agreement between KFOR and the Serbian Armed Forces (Kumanovo Agreement).
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