27.07.2023.
Statement
Despite the fact that 743 members of the Serbian Armed Forces demonstrated to the entire nation at Pasuljanske Livade that they are well-trained and prepared to use the new, state-of-the-art combat means, despite the announcement that the government will keep on equipping our service members and working to improve their living standards, instead of showing support and gratitude, certain representatives of the Military Trade Union are making rather malicious and politicized accusations by perfidiously quoting the remarks of the President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces, Aleksandar Vučić, out of context.
A soldier’s job has never been, nor can it be, easy in any country, especially not in Serbia. Military life is inextricably linked with risk and sacrifice. That is why the military profession has never been called a job - but service. Those who have decided to join the Serbian Armed Forces and serve their country have taken on the burden of self-sacrifice and responsibility for the well-being of all our citizens. For people who have taken that path, comfort and personal gain are always in the background. That is why the service in the Serbian Armed Forces has always stood on a pedestal of trust and honour in the eyes of the citizens of our country.
It is an undeniable fact that the members of the Serbian Armed Forces served their country with equal awareness and dedication even in times when much less care was taken of their status, weapons, equipment, uniforms, diet and pay. One cannot but wonder, why now when the Serbian soldier is much better equipped, armed, paid and most of all respected, do representatives of the Military Trade Union come out almost every day, looking for unconvincing reasons to disturb the public and attract media attention. Why is it that after every successful exercise or capabilities display conducted by our military, public statements are made with a clear aim of diminishing the value and casting a shadow on all the good and positive things that have been done for our defence system in the past ten years?
We strongly condemn the defamatory comments made in the Military Trade Union’s open letter, calling people who hold the most responsible positions in the defence system, criminals. Using slanderous and obscene language, the authors of said articles only please the enemies of our people and country, and cause damage to the system they too belong to, or once did.
Members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces are aware of their role and responsibilities and will, as usual, continue to carry out their tasks professionally and with complete confidence in the decisions made by the state and military leaderships that have led in the recent period to visible and measurable progress in all segments of life and work at the Serbian Armed Forces.
