30.08.2021.

International Military Police competition "Guardian of Order" opened

Tonight, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, PhD, opened the international military policemen competition "Guardian of Order" on the Serbian Warriors Square in Kraljevo. The “Guardian of Order”, which is being held in our country for the first time, is one of 34 competition disciplines at the International Army Games.

The opening ceremony was attended by the Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, General Milan Mojsilović, Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation Tatiana Shevtsova, representatives of the countries participating in the competition, representatives of local self-government and numerous citizens.

Opening the competition tonight, Minister Stefanović expressed his pleasure at being in Kraljevo, a city where as many as seven Serbian medieval kings had been crowned and which was a treasure trove of military tradition and our rich, centuries-long military history.

- Tonight we are on the Serbian Warriors Square, where you can see the monument to the great Serbian heroes who died in the 1912-1918 wars, the work of the Russian artist Roman Verkhovsky. Serbian history abounds in battles and the suffering of our people, heroic fight for freedom and life in both peace and war - Minister Stefanović emphasized.

We must never forget the sacrifice of countless Serbian heroes throughout the centuries, he said.

- That is why I want to dedicate tonight's army games and the ones that will be held over the next few days to our ancestors, Serbian heroes, who fought for centuries so that we and our children can live in a free Serbia and so that today we can compete in peace and fight battles of a completely different and more beautiful kind - Minister Stefanović pointed out.

According to him, Serbia is one of the co-organizers of the largest military competition in the world, the International Army Games, for the first time this year.

- After participating in them for six years, we were given the honour of being one of 11 countries where this prestigious competition is taking place. I would like to thank once again Ms. Shevtsova and the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation for placing trust in us. This is another confirmation of our brotherly relations, developed throughout our common, centuries-long history - Minister Stefanović emphasized.

According to him, the International Army Games are a competition involving 42 armies from around the world competing in a total of 34 land, water and air competition disciplines in Russia, Serbia and other countries.

- Serbia has the honour of organizing a military police competition called “Guardian of Order". I want to thank our people from the Serbian Armed Forces for the fantastic organization and preparations and for putting in a great deal of effort for this competition to start on our "Žiča" and "Beranovac" training grounds and for making sure that we are good hosts for our guests - Minister Stefanović pointed out.

According to him, Kraljevo is an excellent choice of venue for this competition, because it is home to extremely hospitable and cordial people, who know how to show true hospitality.

- The motto on the coat of arms of this great city says "Good to us, and no harm to anyone", which speaks volumes about the people who live here. I have no doubt that our guests from the participating countries will see this for themselves - said Minister Stefanović.

Speaking about the upcoming competition, Minister Stefanović said that the representatives of the Egyptian, Belarusian, Greek and Hungarian armed forces would also attend the competition as observers, and expressed hope that they would decide to participate in the games in the coming years.

- I wish the best of luck to the teams from Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Qatar and Cyprus, and I hope our guys will achieve the best possible score and do their best to defend Serbia’s national colours - said Minister Stefanović.

- By deciding to dedicate your lives to protecting Serbia, you, the members of our military police, have become special for our people. Your dedication and great work have already earned you great respect, but we will certainly not mind your winning a medal - Minister Stefanović pointed out.

Minister Stefanović noted that thanks to our ancestors, today we have the opportunity to fight different and better battles.

- But "Guardian of Order" is not only a sports competition to see which team’s skill, endurance and strength in the field are the best, this is an opportunity for joint training and better understanding between armies, and thus better cooperation and trust - said Minister Stefanović.

According to him, after the first two stages of the competition where the military police teams compete in shooting, the other two will take place at the "Beranovac" range.

- These are the stages entitled "Military Police Patrol Route" and “Heroes’ Race” which will be held on September 1 and 3 and which citizens will be able to attend. I invite you to join us and see what these teams can do, how well-trained they are and how demanding their daily tasks are - said Minister Stefanović.

The Minister of Defence called on all citizens to support the Serbian Armed Forces team and to be there for their military, just as the military is always there for its people.

– Hoping that you have enjoyed this military ceremony tonight, the spectacular performance of the MOD’s spectacular "Stanislav Binički" orchestra and other musicians and soloists, and convinced that military dignity and sportsmanship will triumph in the competition, I declare the international military police competition "Guardian of Order” open - Minister Stefanović said.

According to the Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation Tatiana Shevtsova, the "Guardian of Order" contest has become a very important event in the lives of the military police of the participating countries and every year it becomes more challenging for participants and more attractive to the public.

- This competition is expanding geographically. As a confirmation of that, this year we have another country co-organizing the International Army Games - the Republic of Serbia. Representing your armed forces’ military police in this competition is both prestigious and responsible, and winning is honourable - said Tatiana Shevtsova and added that the contestants have to show the strength of spirit, endurance, skill and tactical mastery.

Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation expressed hope that the participants would face all the challenges of the competition with dignity and show what they were ready for.

Tomorrow, six teams will participate in the shooting competition with semi-automatic and automatic weapons in the first, individual stage of the contest at the "Žiča" range. The second day of the competition, August 31, is reserved for two-member team shooting in a simulation of a real combat situation.