19.04.2017.
Reception by the President of the Republic on the occasion of the Serbian Armed Forces Day
On the occasion of the Serbian Armed Forces Day, the President of the Republic of Serbia Tomislav Nikolic hosted today a reception at the Presidency which was attended by the Defence Minister Zoran Djordjevic, Chief of General Staff General Ljubisa Dikovic, members of their Boards, as well as members of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces.
Congratulating members of the defence system on the holiday, President Nikolic emphasized he was proud of being the supreme commander of such members of the Serbian Armed Forces during his mandate and of being the part of such Armed Forces, which know how to carry the burden on their backs, always fulfilling their obligations imposed by our glorious history and the wish for our children to live in peace and freedom.
“You fulfilled everything, and you had a lot of challenges. The state had serious reforms, which included the Armed Forces as the part of the society and you endured that stoically, not threatening at any moment the military power of our country and I grant you special recognition for that. We had natural disasters in which you participated as if you were trained for that and in which you showed the strong and unbreakable bond between the Serbian Armed Forces and people and how people feel relief when they see the Armed Forces coming to render assistance”, President Nikolic said.
Talking about the current security challenges, the President of the Republic stressed the role of the Serbian Armed Forces in facing the migrant crisis, adding that they do hard work together with the Police Force without complaints about their work.
“Members of our Armed Forces participate in the missions in which they help other people understand they can live peacefully, and the highest marks for participation of our members come from the commands of those missions and international organizations”, President Nikolic said, adding that the experience from multinational operations, as well as the joint exercises with members of foreign armed forces, is an opportunity for gaining valuable experience.
Talking about challenges in the surroundings, President Nikolic emphasized the Serbian Armed Forces responded to them readily and there is no need to brandish weapons because everyone knows we are ready to defend ourselves.
“I congratulate you on the holiday convinced you can expect better days and that the obvious recovery of Serbia will contribute to the recovery of certain military resources of our country and their use for the defence of our territory with a wish that you do not have any military challenges, still to be ready for them. I am proud of being with you during my presidential mandate”, President Nikolic said.
On the occasion of the Serbian Armed Forces Day, in the spirit of military ceremonies, the Defence Minister and Chief of General Staff conferred occasional gifts to the Serbian President.
