04.12.2019.
Commemoration ceremony on the occasion of Veterans Day
The commemoration ceremony on the occasion of the Veterans Day, organised by the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, has been held at the Guard Club in Topčider tonight.
The ceremony was attended by state secretary in the Ministry of Defence Aleksandar Živković, deputy chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces Major General Petar Cvetković, members of the Collegium of the Minister of Defence and Chief of Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, veterans and families of fallen members of the Armed Forces, churches and religious communities, military diplomatic corps, tradition and veteran associations and many guests.
On the occasion of the Veterans Day, president of the Republic of Serbia and commander-in-chief of the Serbian Armed Forces, Aleksandar Vučić, extended congratulations to all veterans which was read at tonight's ceremony.The ceremony began with a minute of silence and paying homage to all the deceased and fallen veterans in Serbian liberation wars.
State secretary Živković welcomed the audience on behalf of defence minister Aleksandar Vulin and on his own personal behalf, extending special greetings to the disabled war veterans, wounded veterans and family members of the deceased and fallen comrades.
Recalling the historical importance of the date, which is marked as Veterans Day, state secretary Živković emphasised that on this occasion we recall all members of our military who were guided by their faith in Serbia’s freedom and statehood, and inscribed their names on the brightest pages of our history through the Balkan wars, World War I and World War II, and combat operations during the 1990s.- For this reason, we must not forget the veterans. Today, it is not only that we are reviving the memory, the sense of community, but by honouring the brave soldiers and heroes, participants in all wars and combat operations for the freedom of Serbia, we are making an effort to show and express how much we care for military veterans, especially those ones from the period of combat and war activities between 1991 and 1999. I am convinced that joining our efforts and will we can succeed in it – state secretary Živković said, adding that with the celebration of the Veterans Day we show that we do not leave them to oblivion but we show respect by valuing the people, fighters, those who are the basis of the Armed Forces, as one of the basic pillars of a stable, strong and successful state.
As he pointed out, Serbia, for which some may say – a small country, but still a country with a great and glorious history, preserves the tradition of liberation wars, thus laying a solid foundation for the generations that are here, as well as for those who are yet to come.- Learning from great deeds of our ancestors, I am convinced that in the future, we will do our best to win new battles, which will ensure that the casualties of our people and the military in combat operations will never be repeated, and that the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, as the factors of the defence system, with the full support of the state, will contribute to the maintenance of peace in the country, the region and beyond. Hoping that we will take example from our war veterans, we are showing them our gratitude today, as I am sure many generations to come will do, for the sacrifice they made, with the promise that it was not in vain and that their spirit will continue to live forever – state secretary Živković said.
On the occasion of Military Veterans Day, state secretary Živković presented the plaque of the Ministry of Defence for successful cooperation to Neven Milaković, the author of the poem ‘The Fairy from Kosare’. That poem was just one item in a rich cultural and artistic programme and stage performances of some of the combat operations that marked tonight's commemoration ceremony.
The Veterans Day was established on 4th December to commemorate the day when, in 1912, a ceasefire in the First Balkan War was signed between allies of the Kingdom of Serbia, the Kingdom of Montenegro, the Kingdom of Bulgaria on the one hand, and the Ottoman Empire on the other. At that time, about 400,000 soldiers of the Army of the Kingdom of Serbia were given the status of an old warrior (modern term is ‘a veteran’), and the care of veterans was taken over by the Ministry of War.