Serbia and China are expected to hold joint military exercises for the first time towards the end of this month, China's Ministry of Defense announced on Monday.
Part of the joint exercises "Peacekeepers 2025" will be the special forces of Serbia and China, and the exercise will take place in Hebei province, in northern China, Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Defense, said at a press conference, according to the Ministry.
"This will be the first joint exercise between the Chinese and Serbian armies. It will contribute to strengthening the combat capabilities of the participants and deepening cooperation between the two armies," he said.
Serbia is militarily neutral, but is a member of the "Partnership for Peace", a bilateral cooperation program between NATO and individual non-member countries.
Official Belgrade maintains good relations with China and these two countries consider their mutual cooperation as a strategic partnership, while Serbia is a candidate for membership in the European Union.
Authorities in Belgrade are relying on China's support in international organizations and institutions in opposing Kosovo's independence.
Serbia also relies on China for economic investment and loans. (A2 Televizion)
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