29.12.2021.
Minister Stefanović presents decorations to members of Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, PhD, has presented decorations bestowed by the President of the Republic of Serbia to members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces.
By presidential decrees, members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces have been awarded silver medals for merit and silver medals for zealous service, on the occasion of the Statehood Day – Sretenje (Candlemas) and the Serbian Armed Forces Day.
- Congratulations once again to Darko, Dušanka, Đorđe, Predrag, Srđan, Vladan, Ilija and Jasmina. They are, I would say, a true image of our system. They deserve this decoration for their personal and professional qualities which characterize a good soldier, and even though some of them do not wear uniform, we view them as the best Serbian soldiers who have represented us in the best way and deservedly earned these decorations awarded by President Aleksandar Vučić - Minister Stefanović pointed out.He noted that last year, Darko Selaković and Ilija Knežević did their best to preserve the health of our people in military hospitals in Novi Sad and Karaburma, worked hard to save every life and made sure everything functioned smoothly.
- Predrag Kraljević and Đorđe Graovac from the General Staff and Vladan Nedeljković from our armoured units have been working on improving the functional and operational capabilities of our armed forces. Working in the Military Museum, our dear Dušanka has made sure that our history is not forgotten, and Srđan has been working hard with cadets at the Military Academy. Jasmina is an example of an excellent colleague in the Material Resources Sector - said Minister Stefanović.
According to the Minister of Defence, they have done a lot over the past years for the armed forces and our country.- That is why I must offer them my heartiest congratulations. Also, with deep respect and reverence for our late colleague Ljubomir Gagić, who passed away after a long illness, I award this decoration posthumously and I would like to express my gratitude to his family, his wife Silvana, who is with us today and who has received this decoration on his behalf. He made enormous contribution to the strengthening of our Armed Forces and we are extremely proud that he was our member - Minister Stefanović emphasized.
Being awarded a decoration bestowed by the President of the Republic, the Minister of Defence emphasized, is an important moment in the life of every soldier, because it becomes part of the legacy bequeathed to our children, our families, something that is kept and that makes our children proud and that our descendants will keep.
- Dear colleagues, the history of our people is extremely rich, but filled with numerous obstacles. Those obstacles sometimes seemed insurmountable, but we have always managed to overcome them, to achieve our goals and thanks to our strong will and energetic fight, we have always managed to achieve good results - said Minister Stefanović.
Referring to 2021, Minister Stefanović said that it has been a difficult year, full of obstacles and struggle, but many goals have been achieved.
- In 2021, thanks to the great support from President Vučić, we have made a significant step forward in terms of improving the lives and the standard of living of our service members and their families, and in terms of equipping and modernizing our armed forces. And as the President has recently said, this is just the beginning - said Minister Stefanović.According to him, we are entering a new year with a new salary increase, but also with new equipment and new weapons.
- If the morning shows the day, this will be a very good year. Last year was marked by Covid-19, our daily lives were full of restrictions at times due to this pandemic, but as the year draws to an end, we wanted to hold this ceremony for all of you who have been decorated on the occasion of the Statehood Day and Armed Forces Day. We wanted to show you in this way that the state, the President of the Republic and your Ministry holds you in deep respect, because you have dedicated your lives to the homeland - said Minister Stefanović.
According to the Minister, receiving this kind of award is a great thing and it is a reward for commitment and the love for Serbia.
- It is a privilege, but it also obliges you to continue to be role models for your colleagues and for future generations of soldiers and for all the people working in the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces. Of course, it is a source of great pride for you, because you have earned this award for your work and commitment. Once again, congratulations. I wish you and your families a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. I hope we meet again wearing new decorations and having won new victories. Thank you once again - said Minister Stefanović.
Minister Stefanović presented the Silver Medal for Merit to Lieutenant Colonel Darko Selaković with the Novi Sad Military Hospital.
- This medal means a lot to me, not only to me but also to my family and my colleagues at the Department, it is a sign of good work and the right path to meeting the challenges caused by the pandemic in the last two years when we did our best to help people - said Lieutenant Colonel Selaković.
One of the awarded service members is Lieutenant Colonel Srđan Starčević, Professor at the Military Academy, Defence University, who has been awarded the Silver Medal for Zealous Service.
- I think that being decorated by your country means a lot to every officer, and in that sense, I view this decoration as a great honour. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my superiors at the Military Academy who nominated me for this award - said Lieutenant Colonel Starčević.
Members of the Defence Minister’s and Chief of the General Staff’s Collegiums have also attended today’s ceremony.
