Ohio Signs Military Agreement With Serbia
Matthew Borghese - All Headline News Staff Writer Columbus, OH (AHN) - The state of Ohio and the Republic of Serbia have signed a military agreement. The pair will participate in a new State Partnership Program between the Ohio National Guard and Serbia's armed forces in an effort to help the nation join both NATO and the European Union (EU). Ohio is home to over 20,000 citizens of Serbian decent. Ohio Gov. Bob Taft and U.S. Senator George Voinovich (R-OH) met with Serbian President Boris Tadic to sign the agreement. President Tadic calls the deal "a new page in our history. The State Partnership Program between Ohio and Serbia is a first step." "Right now I am expecting that the generals are going to find a practical solution for our cooperation in the field of security between two very important institutions, the National Guard of Ohio and the armed forces of Serbia." Tadic, the former Serbian Minister of Defense explains, "But I see some new perspectives. For example, when you have cooperation in the defense and security fields, you can expect more in the economy." According to the Pentagon, Tadic signed a Status-of-Forces Agreement with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Sept. 7. That agreement will permit regular military exchanges and exercises between the U.S. and Serbia and opens the door to the partnership with Ohio, explained Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bur |
