28.06.2022.
President Vučić Presents Decorations on the Occasion of Vidovdan
Today, the President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces Aleksandar Vučić conferred decorations on the occasion of Vidovdan to deserving individuals and institutions.
The ceremony held in the Palace of Serbia was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović PhD and Chief of General Staff General Milan Mojsilović.
In his address to the laureates, President Vučić stated that the decorations that they took with them, no matter where they lived, would testify to the respect that Serbia had for them and they would at the same time testify to how much they loved their country.
“Vidovdan has to be a symbol that makes us create new symbols, new stars; it has to be a myth from which we create new myths; inspiration that brings about new inspiration. We should search for our future in Vidovdan. If someone understands this, it is you. Thank you on behalf of that future, on behalf of our state and people, and our common continuance and keeping together”, Vučić stressed.
“On Vidovdan, in Kosovo Polje, our ancestors defended the civilisation and culture, the elemental, today some would say European, and definitely Serbian values”, stated President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić.
“Vidovdan is much more than a question and answer, the most important sign and symbol in the national sky, under which we gather and look for the reason and way to exist. It is a signpost, a star whose light we follow, without which, with the history such as ours, we would have long merged with other larger peoples, or dispersed into small tribes”, the president noted.
As he said "with Vidovdan and owing to Vidovdan, we have found everything that makes a nation persistent, which enables its continuance - and a cult in which we believe and adrenaline that enables us to confront danger and hardship to build our home, and everlasting inspiration to continue going forward.
“Throughout the history, it was always on very Vidovdan that the Serbian people had a chance to see all. For us, Vidovdan is the most precise way of measuring time”, Vučić sent a message adding that Bishop Nikolaj had described it saying that: “Vidovdan is the golgotha of our people, but at the same time, it is our resurrection, both spiritual and moral”.
In his address at the ceremony President Vučić said that there is no greater honour than to receive such great confidence and such huge support of the people two times in a row in the first round of elections, but he also noted that there is no greater commitment or more important responsibility than that one, especially in difficult moments and in difficult times.
“Do we need courage more today, to preserve everything that is ours, or we require wisdom more to build the future which is ours, or we, to a certain degree, need both, just enough to preserve the independence and autonomy in making decisions, and to be able to remain and be the master of our own house”, Vučić questioned.
“It is easier to say”, he said “that we have to solely stick to courage.”
“But I would just say that when we give salaries, when we give pensions, people have to know that we have them owing to wisdom and smarts and a gaze which looks into the future, and to attracting investments, because without that there would not be the stronger armed forces of stronger Serbia” - Vučić stated.
“That is why I often say, though it will reduce the popularity that we have, that we have to to to Europe and observe Europe, in order to have everything that we have today, but, at the same time, we have to have sufficient courage to say both to them in Europe and everybody else that we want to preserve our individuality and our independence, to think with our own head and make decisions and have our own opinion, which they do not have to necessarily like”, the President stated.
“I think that the thing that we can see on this Vidovdan better than ever is that Serbia makes quick steps forward, faster than ever in its history and that it is not easy to stop Serbia on its path any more. If I may choose, even if it is to my detriment, I will choose the path of wisdom instead of the path of great courage, because I wish that there are more of us. I wish for us to have better economy, I wish for us to make progress fast. Believe me, even when I publicly renounce the great courage, there will not be less of it compared to what our ancestors charged us with”, the President concluded.
The Order of Karađorđe’s Star of the 1st degree was presented to academician Vasilije Krestić for exceptional service to Serbia and its citizens in public and cultural work, particularly in the field of historical science, then academician Svetislav Božić for exceptional service to Serbia and its citizens and the results achieved in the field of the art of music.
Also, the Order of Karađorđe’s Star of the 1st degree was presented to the bishop of Budim Lukijan Pantelić for exceptional service to Serbia and its citizens in preserving the identity of Serbian people and church, and to Slovak Evangelistic Church of Augsburg confession in Serbia on the occasion of 100th anniversary of its independence.
For 185th anniversary of work, the Order of Karađorđe’s Star of the 1st degree was conferred to the Grammar School in Čačak, while the same Order was given to Ljiljana Smajlović for exceptional service to Serbia and its citizens in public affairs, particularly in the field of journalism.
The Order of Karađorđe’s Star of the 2nd degree for exceptional service in cultural work, especially in the field of theatrical arts was given to a theatre director Egon Savin, while Ljubiša Ristić received the decoration for the service in the field of film and theatre arts.
For the service in the field of sports, the Order of Karađorđe’s Star of the 2nd degree was presented to the selector of the soccer national team of Serbia Dragan Stojković Piksi, the selector of the basketball national team of Serbia Svetislav Pešić, as well as former soccer player Velibor Bora Milutinović.
The Order of Karađorđe’s Star of the 2nd degree for the service in public and cultural work, especially in the field of acting was presented to actor Miloš Biković.
For 100th anniversary of existence, the Order of Karađorđe’s Star of the 3rd degree was presented to soccer club Radnički from Sremska Mitorvica, while Children’s Theatre in Subotica received the same Order for exceptional service in the field of culture.
The Order of Karađorđe’s Star of the 3rd degree was conferred to British actor Ralph Fiennes for the service in the field of film art and the promotion of Serbia in the world.
The Order of Karađorđe’s Star of the 3rd degree was awarded to a library in Doljevac for exceptional service in collecting and preserving the library holdings of historical and cultural importance.
The Gold Medal for the service in public and cultural work was awarded to Zorana Vapa, and for the service in public and cultural work, particularly in the field of film production, the medal was given to Anđelka Vlaisavljević, while the Gold Medal for the service and results achieved in the field of digitalization was conferred to Marko Valder.
For exceptional service in public and cultural work, particularly in the field of music art, the medals were awarded to Marisa dos Reis Nunes and Andrea Bocelli.
The Gold Medal for the service in public and cultural work was presented to Dalibor Kitanović, while Slobodan Despot received the Gold Medal for exceptional service in public and cultural work, especially in the field of literature.
Radovan Vlahović received the Gold Medal for the service in the field of literature, and the same medal was given to Zorica Juković Ember for exceptional service in the field of public and cultural work.
The Golden Medal for the service in the field of painting was awarded to Dragan Martinović, Bratislav Anđelković and Predrag Đaković.
A conductor Mladen Jagušt received the Golden Medal for the service and results achieved in the field of music art.
The Golden Medal for Courage “Miloš Obilić” was presented to Saša Lalić, a fire-fighter from Zaječar, for displayed extraordinary courage and the feet of personal heroism, as well as to a fire-fighter from Zaječar Andrija Trifunović.
SOURCE: Tanjug/RTS
