Photo By Senior Master Sgt. Elizabeth Holliker | Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., center left, Ohio adjutant general, and U.S. Ambassador...... read more read more
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For 17 years, Ohio and Serbia have partnered to promote regional stability and develop civil-military relationships as part of the Department of Defense State Partnership Program.
When the partnership between the Ohio National Guard and the Republic of Serbia was first established in 2006, the focus was to develop a military partnership that would benefit both entities. Today, the partnership has transcended military training into relationships that will last long into the future.
In celebration of the 17 years of partnership and friendship between Ohio and Serbia, Maj. Gen. John C. Harris, Ohio adjutant general, led a delegation of about 50 Ohio National Guard Soldiers and Airmen and a contingent from the Ohio Department of Development Sept. 6-11 in Belgrade to participate in an annual capstone event.
The capstone is the culmination of the year’s events between the Ohio National Guard and the Serbian Armed Forces, highlighting their long-storied success of military-to-military partnerships.
“I am proud of what we have accomplished in the past 17 years,” Harris said. “Serbia is an extremely important player in the Balkan region and Ohio is fortunate to have been partnered with Serbia’s professional and dedicated military since 2006.”
This year’s capstone provided Harris the opportunity to meet with some of the country’s top officials, celebrate recent accomplishments, renew commitments of ongoing military and civil partnership activities, and discuss plans for future initiatives between the OHNG and SAF.
Harris met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who emphasized Serbia’s commitment to strengthening relations with the U.S.
“As part of the State Partnership Program, numerous defense cooperation projects have been started or completed, as well as economic and business cooperation projects,” Vučić said. “The continued intensification of economic cooperation between Serbia and the United States is driven by a greater influx of investment coming from American companies, a growing trade in goods, and services, in particular, as well as by considerable financial support through different development aid programs.”
Throughout the meeting, Harris and Vučić discussed milestones, successes and areas for improvement, as well as proposed various ways to enhance cooperation between the U.S. and Serbia.
“The goal, when it comes to cooperation between our nations, is establishing and maintaining a strategic partnership,” Harris said. “The long-standing Ohio-Serbia partnership is one of the ways in which the U.S. shows its commitment to the Republic of Serbia.”
Vučić also highlighted that the U.S. is one of the leading foreign investors in the Republic of Serbia.
As the partnership with Serbia and the Ohio National Guard continues to expand from military-to-military operations into economic initiatives, the representatives from the Ohio Department of Development came to Belgrade to strengthen business partnerships.
The team, led by Ohio DOD Director Lydia Mihalik, was accompanied by Serbian Ambassador to the U.S. Marko Đurić during a meeting with officials at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce to sign a groundbreaking memorandum of understanding in the field of economic development, forging a strategic economic cooperation between Ohio and Serbia. Both Harris U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill were on hand to celebrate this historical agreement.
One of the main goals of the memorandum signing is to enhance economic links between Ohio and Serbia by creating stronger business bonds in the areas of Ohio-based companies investing in Serbia, and expanding the export of Serbian products and services to the U.S.
“Through this agreement, Ohio and Serbia forge a powerful partnership, united by the shared vision of driving economic growth and prosperity,” Mihalik said. “Our mutual commitment paves the way for innovation, trade and reciprocal benefits, harnessing the strength of our regions for a dynamic and prosperous future.”
The overall success of the Ohio National Guard’s 17-year partnership with Serbia served as the foundation for the establishment of a sister city partnership between Kraljevo, Serbia and South Euclid, Ohio in 2018. A new sister city partnership is being forged this year between Cleveland and Novi Sad, Serbia.
These city-to-city agreements help bolster relations between the U.S. and Serbia, with the goal of sharing innovative ideas, increasing cultural exchanges, and creating educational and economic development opportunities.
This year the Department of State Partnership Program, managed by National Guard Bureau, marks 30 years of relationship building across the globe, counting 88 partnerships with 100 nations.
In addition to its pairing with Serbia, the Ohio National Guard has maintained a partnership with Hungary since 1993, among the oldest through the SPP.
| Date Taken: | 12.21.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 12.21.2023 13:39 |
| Story ID: | 460508 |
| Location: | BELGRADE, RS |
| Web Views: | 293 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Enduring Ohio National Guard-Serbia pairing leads to economic agreement, sister city relationships, by SMSgt Elizabeth Holliker, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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