Army Day and Infantry Day marked in Nis
Within the celebration of the Day of the Army Service Branch and the Day of the Infantry Branch, a ceremony was held in the Military Club in Nis. The ceremony was attended by Defence Minister Zoran Djordjevic, the Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff General Ljubisa Dikovic, Army Commander, Lieutenant General Milosav Simovic, Chief of Army General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Hellenic Republic, Lieutenant General Vasilios Telidis, Mayor of Nis Darko Bulatovic, Head of Nisava Administrative District, Aleksandar Cvetkovic, presidents of municipalities, His Grace Bishop Teodosije, representatives of the Catholic and Islamic religious communities, directors of institutions, representatives of the Association of Military Pensioners, organizations of reserve officers, associations of liberation wars and several hundred citizens of Nis.
The ceremony began by the address of the Army Commander Lieutenant General Milosav Simovic, who welcomed all those present giving a brief overview of the Battle of Kolubara and glorious military history of the Serbian nation.
"Today, the Army of the Serbian Armed Forces, together with members of the Ministry of the Interior controls the Ground Safety Zone, southern and eastern borders, conducts exercises, helps population affected by natural disasters, participates in peacekeeping operations and cooperates with the Armies of Russia, Belarus, China, the USA and continental armies of the European states " – General Simovic said. "Army of the Serbian Armed Forces is neither pro-American, nor pro-Russian; it is pro-Serb, and it is the guarantor of the peace and security of all citizens of Serbia, regardless of their nationality, religion or political affiliation", Simovic said.
A very inspiring programme, inspired by the patriotic theme of the Great War, included the Stanislav Binicki Artistic Ensemble of the Ministry of Defence, ‘Branko’ Church and Choral Society, vocal soloists Danka Stojiljkovic, Danica Krstic and Vojislav Spasic and actors of Nis National Theatre.
In the framework of celebration of Army Day and the Infantry Day, the Advisor to the President of the Republic of Serbia, Nedeljko Tenjovic, in the presence of General Dikovic, Lieutenant-General Milosav Simovic, and their associates, awarded prizes to the most deserving members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces.
"The fact that you have been awarded by the Supreme Commander is a sign that you are the best in every sense of that word", advisor Tenjovic said, conveying a message to those awarded that they should be proud of themselves and the effort that they had invested. On the occasion of today's holiday, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic also conveyed his best wishes to the members of the Army.