11.06.2019.

Minister Vulin: Only united can we solve our national issue

“What started with the criminal campaign dubbed Operation Storm, what started and continued with the bombing of Republika Srpska, continued with the NATO aggression against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and ended with the Battle of Košare and the Battle of Paštrik. Serbia and the Serbian people did not provoke or justify the NATO aggression, just as the Serbian people did not cause or justify the wars in the territory of the former Yugoslavia. That is why we can and must be proud of the heroes from Košare, Paštrik, Koridor, of the people who perished in the Storm campaign, of all those who defended the Serbian people”, Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin said before the premiere of the film “War Stories from Košare” in the crowded hall of Banski dvori building in Banja Luka, which was attended by participants in one of the decisive battles of 1999.

Pointing out that the Serbian people did not ask for or provoked wars, Minister Vulin said that “we can and must be proud of those who defended us, but we must also understand that the attack on one part of the Serbian people is an attack on all Serbs no matter where they live. We must understand that the Serbian people, whose national issue has not yet been resolved, must think of themselves as a unique nation with unique interests and needs, that has the need to decide for themselves.”

We all must and should be proud of our fighters, our heroes, and Serbia led by Aleksandar Vučić is not Serbia that admits someone else's guilt, or Serbia that recognizes false symmetries, and it is not Serbia that will make a single move without thinking about all Serbs no matter where they live. Only united can we hope that our children will live in peace, and where the Serbs do not decide on themselves, there is no truth for them, there is no justice for them either. We must remember both Košare and Koridor, and we need to know that the Serbian people can solve its national issue only if it is united, Serbian defence minister said.

Thanking on behalf of the fighters from Košare, Serbian Armed Forces Colonel Duško Šljivančanin, commander of the 53rd border battalion, who was on the first line of defence of the country in the battle at Košare, said that tonight the souls of 108 killed members of the Yugoslav Armed Forces in the area of Košare outpost rejoice. It is a great honour to screen this film before the fighters of Republika Srpska, before the descendants of the fighters of the Republika Srpska Army, because I know that in your fight you had a lot of Košare-like and many Paštrik-like battles”, Colonel Šljivančanin said.

“Serbia was defended on Košare, and if Serbia is defended, then Republika Srpska and the whole Serbian nation are defended. We must not forget that NATO bombed Serbs on both sides of the Drina, Milorad Kojić, Director of the Republic Centre for research of war, war crimes and the search for missing persons, who was the organiser of the première of the film “War Stories from Košare” in Republika Srpska.

He pointed out that this is a way to get rid of forgetfulness and to institutionally develop the culture of remembering and memorising.

“I am grateful to the Ministry of Defence, Minister Vulin, Zastava Film and author Slađana Zarić that we have the opportunity in Banja Luka tonight to show the heroism of Serbian soldiers that they really showed at Košare”, Kojić said.

The author of the film, Slađana Zarić, said that by the films “War Stories from Košare” and “War Stories from Paštrik”, which had incredible ratings in Serbia, after twenty years, we wanted to thank all the participants in the battles for everything they gave at that time.

The Battle of Košare has become a symbol of defending the national border and fighting for the defence of the homeland. It was among the hardest and most significant battles in the recent history of the Serbian armed forces. It started on 9th April and lasted until 14th June 1999, when the Yugoslav Army, after signing the Kumanovo Agreement, withdrew from Kosovo and Metohija.

A number of 1.500 members of the Yugoslav Army participated in the Battle of Košare. The death toll of 108 included soldiers, non-commissioned officers, officers, reservists and volunteers.

The documentary “War Stories from Košare” was produced by the Ministry of Defence – ‘Zastava Film’ Military Film Centre and Radio Television of Serbia.