27.01.2023.

Minister Vučević attends St. Sava Day celebration in Skopje

Acting as a delegate of the President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces Aleksandar Vučić, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Miloš Vučević has attended the celebration of St. Sava Day – the national holiday of the Republic of North Macedonia. The celebration was held in Skopje’s National Theatre tonight.

The President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, was awarded the St. Sava Charter, for everything he has done for the Serbian community in the Republic of North Macedonia, which was presented to Minister Vučević, as a representative of the President of Serbia, by the chair of the organizing committee for the event, Ivan Stoiljković.

Minister Vučević addressed the audience, saying that the St. Sava Day celebration has been held for years to mark the national holiday of Serbs living in North Macedonia, and that it is traditionally held in Skopje, under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia.

According to Minister of Defence, the goal is for “Svetosavlje”, as an idea of enlightenment, harmony and fraternal love, to remain inextricably woven into our national being and for future generations to "learn how to live a life worthy of the ideal that has sustained and united us throughout the centuries".

- Saint Sava does not belong only to Serbs. He belongs to all people of good will. Saint Sava belongs to all Christians. His work is timeless and it still inspires us today. “Svetosavlje” is a foothold for the entire Serbian nation, because it has showed us the path of faith and goodness, it has showed us what we should learn, what we should be and where we should go, said the Minister of Defence.

He said that in 1219, Serbia had stood up and decided to make its own decisions.

- And when Saint Sava brought autocephaly to the Serbian Orthodox Church, he also brought freedom to our people and our country, as well as the right to speak our own language, to make our own decisions and choose our own path. And 804 years later, while dangerous geopolitical games are being played, Serbia remains independent and its own, dependent exclusively on the interests of its people, Minister Vučević said.

Today, Serbia is facing the same trials and tribulations as it did in Saint Sava’s times, but "thanks to the wise and responsible leadership of President Aleksandar Vučić, Serbia is moving forward bravely and holding its head high and it is developing despite all the challenges that the whole world, and Serbia in particular, is facing".

- The President of the Republic of Serbia and the entire leadership of our country pursue a policy that rests on the St. Sava Covenant. Serbia is unequivocally and strongly committed to pursuing the policy of peace and the freedom-loving spirit, to living in fraternal harmony and love both with each other and with other nations, to bringing prosperity to our people, to building a better and safer future for our descendants, said the Minister of Defence.

Serbia attaches great importance to improving bilateral relations with the Republic of North Macedonia, Minister Vučević said.

- As good friends and neighbours, together we have launched a major development initiative called "Open Balkan", we have settled the decades-long burning issue between the two churches, which we are proud of, bringing the two brotherly nations even closer together, because everything that unites us is good and beneficial. It is no coincidence that today the construction of the magnificent Church of St. Sava is being completed on the same site where his relics were burned long ago. Also, today we can proudly stand in front of the first monument erected in honour of St. Sava’s father and the founder of the medieval Serbian state, the great Stefan Nemanja, said the Minister of Defence.

The paths of “Svetosavlje” must remain unsullied, because they guide us through life and future, he said.

- This great holiday, which is celebrated by all Serbs in the mother country, whose rich symbolism reminds us to be better people and responsible citizens, to preserve the memory of our glorious ancestors and at the same time to build a secure future for our descendants, to be united, to cherish the Serbian language and the Cyrillic alphabet, to foster good relations with our neighbours, to strive for a peaceful and better future. Following the paths of Saint Sava, we cannot make mistakes, we cannot go astray, and that is the only way we can defend the right of our children and our children's children to live in freedom and peacefully coexist with all our neighbours in these areas, said Minister Vučević, extending his best wishes for St. Sava Day and expressing gratitude to the hosts for their warm hospitality.

Addressing the audience, the Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia, Dimitar Kovacevski, wished everyone a happy holiday, on behalf of the government of that country and on his own behalf, expressing hope that this holiday would be celebrated for a long time. He said that Saint Sava’s ideas would go down in history and be remembered by the nations living in this region. He added that we should be united in our common idea of peace and that only thus we can move forward as nations living in this region.

Radovan Kovačević, acting as the representative of the President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik, and Ivan Stojiljković, the organizer of the event, also addressed the audience, and dramatist Dragoslav Bokan gave a lecture on Saint Sava.

The Ministry of Defence "Stanislav Binički" Artistic Ensemble gave performance at the event, with soloists and the Mixed Choir, starting with the performance of St. Sava’s Anthem. Folk and spiritual compositions alternated, which the audience greeted with thunderous applause.

Earlier today, Minister Vučević also visited the "St. Cyril and Methodius" Primary School in the village of Kučevište, where he attended a school celebration of St. Sava Day.

The Ministry of Defence delegation led by Minister Vučević visited the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel and the ossuary where Minister Vučević laid a wreath to honour Serbian soldiers who died in the First World War and attended the commemoration.