Background/Objectives: Emergency Medical Response Systems (EMRSs) play a vital role in delivering medical aid during natural and man-made disasters. This quantitative research delves into the analysis of risk and effectiveness within Serbia’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS), with a special emphasis on how work organization, resource distribution, and preparedness for mass casualty events contribute to overall disaster preparedness. Methods: The study was conducted using a questionnaire consisting of 7 sections and a total of 88 variables, distributed to and collected from 172 healthcare institutions (Public Health Centers and Hospitals). Statistical methods, including Pearson’s correlation, multivariate regression analysis, and chi-square tests, were rigorously applied to analyze and interpret the data. Results: The results from the multivariate regression analysis revealed that the organization of working hours (β = 0.035) and shift work (β = 0.042) were significant predictors of EMS organization, explaining 1.9% of the variance (R² = 0.019). Furthermore, shift work (β = −0.045) and working hours (β = −0.037) accounted for 2.0% of the variance in the number of EMS points performed (R² = 0.020). Also, the availability of ambulance vehicles (β = 0.075) and financial resources (β = 0.033) explained 4.1% of the variance in mass casualty preparedness (R² = 0.041). When it comes to service area coverage, the regression results suggest that none of the predictors were statistically significant. Based on Pearson’s correlation results, there is a statistically significant correlation between the EMS organization and several key variables such as the number of EMS doctors (p = 0.000), emergency medicine specialists (p = 0.000), etc. Moreover, the Chi-square test results reveal statistically significant correlations between EMS organization and how EMS activities are conducted (p = 0.001), the number of activity locations (p = 0.005), and the structure of working hours (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Additionally, the results underscore the necessity for increased financial support, standardized protocols, and enhanced intersectoral collaboration to strengthen Serbia’s EMRS and improve overall disaster response effectiveness. Based on these findings, a clear roadmap is provided for policymakers, healthcare administrators, and EMS personnel to prioritize strategic interventions and build a robust emergency medical response system.

This paper analyzes the concept of strategic pragmatism as a potential framework for achieving Serbia's national interests. Through a geopolitical, historical, and institutional approach, it is shown that, although Serbia does not have a formally defined grand strategy in the form of a single document, it implements a functional and long-term sustainable strategy that satisfies all the key elements of that concept. Continuity in the formulation of national interests, as well as the application of strategies of containment and risk mitigation, delay, and realpolitik maneuvering, demonstrates a deeply rooted political culture of adaptation to circumstances. The paper particularly emphasizes the importance of a multi-vector foreign policy and the "four-pillar" strategy as instruments for preserving geopolitical neutrality and increasing international flexibility. Strategic pragmatism, viewed through the prism of the hedging concept, is a key mechanism by which Serbia seeks to avoid hard choices between opposing global centers of power, while protecting vital interests such as sovereignty, territorial integrity, and stability in the region. The paper shows that this approach is not only a product of historical consequences but also a rational response of a small state to contemporary challenges in international relations. The paper confirms the hypothesis that strategic pragmatism is not a temporary solution, but a long-term doctrine appropriate to the geopolitical reality of Serbia and a sustainable pattern of action in the global system of unequal power.

Emergency Medical Response Systems (EMRS) play a vital role in delivering medical aid during disasters. In Serbia, these systems encounter several obstacles due to economic limitations, scarce resources, and ongoing healthcare reforms, all of which affect their performance. This study focuses on examining the risk factors and effectiveness of Serbia's EMRS, identifying systemic issues, and proposing enhancements to improve emergency preparedness for disasters. A survey was conducted across healthcare institutions in Serbia to gather comprehensive insights. The survey explored various aspects, including organizational structures, resource distribution, communication systems, and the speed of emergency responses. Statistical methods such as Pearson's correlation, multivariate regression analysis and chi-square tests were utilized to interpret data collected from 172 healthcare institutions. The multivariate regression analysis of EMS organization identified that factors such as the structuring of working hours and shift patterns are significant predictors, contributing to small but meaningful variations in various EMS outcomes. In contrast, other factors, such as financial resources and the availability of ambulance vehicles, showed more targeted significance depending on the specific EMS aspect being analyzed. Institutions with written mass casualty plans and procedures demonstrate superior effectiveness in EMS activities, excelling in resource allocation, operational continuity, and emergency preparedness, particularly through enhanced coordination and specialized systems for managing large-scale emergencies. The findings highlighted notable disparities in how EMRS are organized, with only 46% of institutions having specific emergency departments. Resource limitations were evident, as many facilities operated with minimal staff and outdated equipment. The communication systems revealed weaknesses, with just 54% having established protocols for handling emergency calls. Response times frequently surpassed international standards, which negatively affected patient outcomes. Additionally, the study found training deficiencies, with 68% of participants expressing a need for further education. Serbia’s EMRS are significantly impacted by systemic issues such as insufficient funding, disjointed service delivery, and inadequate training. Overcoming these challenges necessitates a comprehensive approach that includes boosting financial support, implementing standardized protocols, and fostering enhanced collaboration across different sectors.

Artificial intelligence is making rapid strides, and trying to predict its limits is an uncertain endeavor. While it opens up significant opportunities, it also presents challenges. AI has the potential to greatly enhance military capabilities, acting as a force multiplier. Military applications of AI can confer a competitive edge by expediting decision-making, revolutionizing the decision-making process, and improving command, control, and oversight capabilities. Similar to any groundbreaking technology, AI is poised to spark competition among powerful nations, potentially giving rise to security dilemmas, disrupting conflict predictability, and increasing the risk of escalation. At its core, the pivotal question centers on the interaction between human operators and AI systems. In the realm of strategy, official state documents underscore the strategic significance of AI development and deployment in military endeavors. AI systems are likely to bolster military strategy, especially in forecasting and planning. Nevertheless, the human element in shaping strategy remains paramount, as it relies on instincts, creativity, and values. Nonetheless, there remains a concern that military personnel might excessively rely on AI for decision-making. In terms of military doctrine, the role of AI will likely be limited to assessment and aiding in doctrine revision. Considering that doctrine outlines a state's armed forces' purpose, values, and organizational culture, it is apparent that doctrine will play a pivotal role in defining how a state's military perceives and interacts with AI systems. Artificial intelligence will play a substantial role in military planning, primarily due to its capacity to rapidly and accurately process complex and vast datasets. Even if AI systems are not granted decision-making authority, military planners and commanders may heavily depend on AI analyses and recommendations due to time constraints and the intricacies of wartime scenarios. Consequently, the line between AI that supports decision-making and AI that makes decisions itself could become less distinct. Concerning Rules of Engagement, they serve as a suitable framework for distinguishing the utilization of AI in specific conflicts and missions. In the realm of military orders, AI systems are expected to offer significant support in command and control functions, though they may not be entrusted with issuing orders independently. Nevertheless, practical challenges may arise in distinguishing between orders issued by algorithms and those given by commanders, potentially resulting in de facto AI-driven decision-making, akin to the planning stage. Military structures, standards, and processes are likely to adapt in tandem with technological advancements. It is, therefore, imperative to proactively establish fundamental principles, values, and standards governing AI use, rather than reacting to technological developments, to avert unforeseen or undesirable consequences. Future discussions and research on AI's role in military operations, as well as its integration into strategy, doctrine, operational plans, Rules of Engagement, and orders, should concentrate on the interaction between humans and machines, as this remains the crux of the matter. Striking an appropriate balance between AI's role in military preparation and execution and the effective management of military artificial intelligence is of paramount importance.

As a rule, the directions of development of the national security strategy are always aligned with vital national interests and modern achievements of society, which are imbued with modern challenges, risks and threats and available instruments of power. Monitoring global trends and the use of an adequate methodological approach enables the strategy to reflect a clear definition of national interests, ways of achieving them and the state's ability to achieve those interests using instruments of national power. Artificial intelligence through various forms of manifestation will significantly influence the development of future society. The implementation methodology will depend primarily on the needs and capabilities of the state. The goal of this work is to bring artificial intelligence closer to the professional public and to somehow place it in the focus of future considerations in the field of security and defense. Technology, which every day is becoming more and more present in all spheres of life, must find its role and place in strategic and doctrinal documents related to the defense of the state. Artificial intelligence must be integrated and operationalized as one of the starting points for creating a modern national security strategy, which is also the thesis of this expert work. The thesis clearly implies that the future national security strategy cannot be conceived without the concept of using artificial intelligence. The theoretical foundation of artificial intelligence is imbued in various scientific fields that primarily deal with automation and autonomous use of systems. Practical application found its basis in the gradual but comprehensive digitization of all spheres of life and society as a whole. From the point of view of national security, it is especially important to consider the impact in the development of autonomous weapon systems, the perspective of their use and the way they will shape modern armed conflicts.

The issue of the work is the analysis of the application of some of the "soft power" instruments of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on the territory of the Republic of Serbia. It is especially important to study soft power from the point of view of its impact on the realization of vital interests and the defense of statehood, through the protection of territorial sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia. Although the geopolitical influence of Great Britain is not primarily directed towards Serbia and is not the focus of Serbian contemporary diplomacy, by analyzing various historical-political relations, indirect influence through the use of "soft power" instruments, i.e. the action of covert instruments of power, social and educational institutions, nongovernmental organizations, intelligence components , placement of interests through the KFOR mission on the territory of AP Kosovo and Metohija and other factors.. This paper indicates that although the Republic of Serbia is a small, strategically almost negligible country, it has a significant role in the realization of Great Britain's interests in this part of Europe. The political noise that shapes everyday life, the daily political topics that take us away from the real focus cannot deny the constant existence of Great Britain's interests on the territory of the Republic of Serbia. Interests de facto exist, but the way of their realization is realized through the use of instruments of power that are not directly and completely transparent.