13.03.2018.
Minister Vulin: There is no Easy Peacekeeping Mission
Today, in the barracks “Banjica” in Belgrade, Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin and Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces General Ljubiša Diković attended the official send-off for the fourteenth contingent of the Serbian Armed Forces to the UN multinational operation in the Republic of Cyprus.
There are 45 members of the 126th Brigade for Air Surveillance Early Warning and Guidance deployed to the multinational operation where they will stay over the next six months.
Addressing the future peacemakers, Minister Vulin pointed out that there is no easy peacekeeping mission, and there is no peacekeeping mission where one goes light heartedly without thinking, without preparation and serious training.- There is no easy peacekeeping mission, because where peace is to be kept, if not enforced, there cannot be and it is not easy. You are going to a country which knows hatred and conflicts, to a country that knows destruction of lives, devastation of families and breaking apart the peoples that used to live together. Your commitment, courage and readiness to understand other nations, their hardship and trouble, is the reason why you are going to the Republic of Cyprus, and it is the reason why you are going to show by your own example how a Serbian soldier and officer behave – the minister of defence stressed.
He sent a message that wherever our peacekeepers were and carried our flag they left behind only the words of praise and that they were talked about as of brave, honourable and professional people.
- Today, we expect no less from you. We expect you to be just like the ones before you, who carried the flag of our country and of our armed forces, and we expect from you to show the greatness of Serbian people and to show the reasons why this country is proud of you. Do not forget that you are wearing the honourable and famous insignia of the United Nations, but above all, you are the officers and soldiers of the Serbian Armed Forces. You are the people who will leave behind grateful memory – Minister Vulin pointed out and added that the families of the peacemakers, and all of us as well, will worry about them, think of them, and wait for their return and rejoice at every success, be pleased when they call and share with them what we are may or can, never saying how much we care but always proud because we know what they are like, where they have gone and what kind of people they are.
- We expect from you to return leaving behind the grateful memory of you, so that the peoples that will get to know you will also know that where you come from there is a people which understands human suffering and worry and which is capable of easing them and capable of helping. We are grateful for your courage and readiness; we are grateful for everything that you will do, confident of your virtue and worth, and I wish you success and luck, and I wish that your families are peaceful and assured and proud of you – Minister Vulin concluded.The minister of defence conferred the flag of the Republic of Serbia to Rifle Platoon Commander Captain Nemanja Ranković, who stressed that all the members “will honourably fly the state flag and that they will execute their tasks professionally and responsibly, worthy of a Serbian soldier, proud of their armed forces and the state of Serbia”.
The celebration was attended by Air Force and Air Defence Commander Major General Ranko Živak, representatives of the Serbian Armed Forces, AF and AD units’ commanders, representatives of local government, church, family members, friends and relatives of the contingent members.
Following the official send-off, Minister Vulin together with his associates visited the Memorial room of the 126th Brigade for Air Surveillance Early Warning and Guidance and wrote in the Memorial book the following: “The century behind us is not merely a mark in the time. The century behind us was a time of persistent struggle for freedom. Thank you for the contribution to uninterrupted tradition of being victorious. Long live Serbia!
