Serbia’s Ambassador to Namibia, Milos Perisic has said there is a need for Namibia and Serbia to strengthen cooperation in the areas of defence, education, agriculture and information and technology.

Perisic, who is non-resident and based in Angola, said this during a courtesy visit to Vice President Nangolo Mbumba here Wednesday.

He said: “Serbia is fully open for any operation with Namibia, as they have developed good relations with all other African countries.”

He noted that Serbia is one of the strongest countries militarily in the region and that their defence standards are compatible with European, Russian and NATO standards.

Perisic said Serbia has a joint committee for defence affairs in Angola, and hopes to have the same with Namibia in order to allow the armed forces to be awarded scholarships to gain training in Serbian defence academics.

“Countries like the United States, Italy, Germany, and other African countries are sending their people, and we hope to receive your people soon,” the ambassador said.

He further said his country has received many Namibian students in the past and will continue to do so, through scholarships offered to African countries annually.

“We hope to work closely with the Namibia University of Science and Technology and the University of Namibia to develop hybrids that could be applicable for this climate, weather conditions, and type of soil,” he said.

In response, Mbumba commended the long history between Namibia and Serbia, as well as that of Serbia and other countries.

“When some people hear that you are training military personnel, they think you are preparing for war. But they don’t understand that to protect yourself, you have to have highly trained people who understand the history of the world, its geography, and the new equipment being used,” Mbumba said.

He also said Namibian students can get extensive education in science, new technology and ICT in Serbia.

Source: Namibia Press Agency