On Friday, May 22, 2026, NATO and the Serbian Armed Forces successfully concluded their first joint military exercise, marking an important milestone in practical cooperation between the North Atlantic Alliance and Serbia under the Partnership for Peace.
Photos: NATO
Over two weeks, around 600 troops from NATO Allied countries trained alongside Serbian Armed Forces personnel in a series of fictional scenarios aimed at strengthening professional military cooperation and improving coordination. The exercise involved troops from Serbia, Italy, Romania, Türkiye, France, Germany, Montenegro, the United Kingdom, and the United States, focusing on peacekeeping operations in a multinational environment.
The Commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Adm. George M. Wikoff, emphasized the importance of the exercise.
„This exercise demonstrated the professionalism, expertise and readiness of the Serbian Armed Forces working alongside Allied troops, by training together, we improve interoperability, build mutual trust, and strengthen our ability to respond effectively to shared security challenges. We have all worked on this for a long time, and I am personally delighted that the Exercise has been such an outstanding success on all counts. It is a credit to all involved, and a great milestone as we build our partnership future together.”
During the exercise, the participating forces conducted joint planning activities, field training, and dynamic scenarios designed to improve coordination and strengthen professional exchanges of experience among the participating forces.
The exercise was conducted with full respect for Serbia’s declared policy of military neutrality and reflects the long-standing practical cooperation between NATO and Serbia.
The exercise concluded with a dynamic demonstration showcasing the joint efforts of NATO and the Serbian Armed Forces. The event was attended by NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy Ambassador Kevin Hamilton; Serbian Minister of Defense Bratislav Gašić; Commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples Adm. George Wikoff; Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces Gen. Milan Mojsilović; and distinguished guests representing NATO member states, Serbia’s Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as the Serbian Armed Forces.
„This year’s NATO-Serbia exercise represents a tangible demonstration of how far NATO-Serbia relations have grown. Of how much Serbia’s partnership with NATO has developed. And of how much our political dialogue and practical cooperation have progressed,” said NATO’s Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, Ambassador Kevin Hamilton. „As we look ahead, NATO stands ready to further develop our relations with Serbia. In full respect of its stated policy of military neutrality,” he added.
NATO and Serbia maintain regular cooperation under the Partnership for Peace program in areas such as military education and training, civil emergency planning, scientific cooperation, and interoperability activities. Exercises such as this help strengthen interoperability and deepen cooperation in support of regional stability, to the benefit of all. The successful conclusion of the exercise reflects NATO and Serbia’s shared commitment to partnership, practical cooperation, and regional security.
NATO and Serbia completed their first joint military exercise 🤝
A milestone in NATO-Serbia cooperation, the exercise brought together troops from 🇷🇸🇮🇹🇷🇴🇹🇷🇫🇷🇩🇪🇲🇪🇬🇧🇺🇸 to train for peace support operations ↓ https://t.co/8wIyVvKWjE
— NATO (@NATO) May 29, 2026