11.05.2022.
Minister Stefanović attends key handover ceremony in Niš: Thank you for your loyal service to the homeland
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, PhD, has handed over the keys to 33 apartments and nine indefinite-period rental agreements to members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces at a ceremony held in the Army Club in Niš today.
He thanked them for their loyal service to the homeland, emphasizing that being a soldier is much more than just a career.
- This system is highly indebted to you, and all the people standing before me inspire me to say thank you for your loyal service to the homeland. I know perfectly well how difficult it is to be a soldier, to wear uniform, and I am glad that these 33 families are moving into their new homes today and that by singing rental agreements, these nine people have started the flat purchase procedure and that they will soon become homeowners. I am glad that almost half of them are military retirees, because this country shows gratitude to the people who were building the defence system for years, who used to make up our armed forces and it did not forget them when they retired – Minister Stefanović said. 
The Minister of Defence also thanked all active duty members for everything they do for our country. 
- The sense of pride that each of us feels standing in front of our armed forces, which are stronger and have greater capabilities today, is really amazing. This tells me that our state, and everything that President Vučić’s program and plan encompassed when we started the housing project for members of the security forces, and all our efforts to procure new equipment and technology, to increase salaries and pensions, yields results and shows our gratitude to our soldiers. Their job is much more than just a career. It seems to me that once you are a soldier, you are always a soldier, and that is how you treat your country, and I am glad that Serbia is able to thank you in this way as well - said Minister Stefanović.
The ceremony was also attended by Army Commander, Lieutenant General Milosav Simović, Head of the Defence Minister’s Office, Colonel Stevan Kotarlić, Head of Department for Tradition, Standards and Veterans, Colonel Dragan Milković, Head of the Infrastructure Department, Colonel Slobodan Starčević, and families of members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces.
