25.07.2017.

Support of Israel to Serbia

Continuing the visit to Israel, Minister of Defence, Aleksandar Vulin visited the Museum of the Holocaust Yad Vashem, a monument dedicated to the suffering of Jewish people in the Holocaust. The Museum was founded in 1953 as a world centre for documentation, research, education and commemoration of the suffering of Jews in the Second World War. The Museum also cherishes memory of the victims who died in the camp Jasenovac. Minister Vulin laid a wreath at the monument to all the victims of the Holocaust on behalf of the members of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces and signed the memorial book.

After that, Minister Vulin visited the Old City of Jerusalem and met with the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III. Minister Vulin wrote in the memorial book: “Serbian people have deep roots in the Holy City. I extend immeasurable gratitude to Your Holiness for safeguarding the memory and giving hope”.

Speaking about the conversation with the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Minister Vulin said that the Jerusalem Patriarchy is very influential not only in Jerusalem, Israel but in the entire Middle East and that the word of the Patriarch is carefully marked.

“The Patriarch was quite clear that Kosovo and Metohija cannot be taken from Serbia and that the Patriarchy of Jerusalem, wherever its voice can be heard, would repeat that it is Serbian Jerusalem and that it is the territory in which Serbian law and Serbian state should exist” Vulin emphasised.

Evaluating the visit to Israel, Minister Vulin noted that the talks that he had with his Israeli colleague Lieberman were quite fruitful and that possibilities were considered for more intensive defence cooperation, particularly in the field of military education, health and defence industry.

“There are things that we can also learn from Israel regarding the policy of neutrality, since Israel is positioned in a turbulent area where it is required to show not only military stamina and strength, but diplomatic capability and skill as well” Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin stressed in his statement at the end of the official visit to the State of Israel, the first at the level of Ministers of Defence since 2003.