13.02.2023.
Minister Vučević attends official opening of premises of “Košare“ Veterans Association
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Miloš Vučević attended today the official opening of the premises of the "Košare" Veterans Association in Novi Sad.
At the opening, Minister Vučević said that no one had spoken the truth for too long, but that silence had been broken in 2012. - Some people tried to convince us that we should be ashamed of ourselves and, unfortunately, some of our nationals believed them, or promoted such an idea. The situation in Serbia is entirely different now, especially since 2012. We are not ashamed of our veterans, heroes and fighters. Nowadays we talk about the people who were the bravest among us all and died, laying down their lives so that we can live freely today, not because we wish for new conflicts, but because we understand the sacrifice we made during the 20th century and because we foster the culture of remembrance, because a nation that stops remembering, that forgets everything that is part of its national DNA, is doomed. At least I believe so – said Minister Vučević.
The Minister of Defence said that this was not militarization, but a natural and decent way to thank the people who had fought for all of us.
- We were all exposed to NATO aggression that took place from March to June 1999, but you must admit that such an experience was far worse for those who were shot at, who were exposed to ground aggression, because there were attempts to carry out an offensive, that is, the terrorists and not only terrorists, but also official NATO members, whatever you call them, made an attempt to enter our territory from Albania. And these men and their friends and comrades who are, unfortunately, no longer with us, or who were seriously wounded, fought those battles. I am glad that these new premises, with their open-concept look and exuding harmony and unity, have been opened in downtown Novi Sad, on Mihajla Pupina Boulevard opposite Banovina. This is the place where new generations, who should never experience what the heroes of Košare experienced, will understand what happened and why it happened - said the Minister of Defence.Congratulating all those who supported the opening of the premises for the “Košare” Veterans Association, Minister Vučević expressed hope that they would be “vibrant and full of energy because those people deserve that”.
- So that we do not forget who we are, or what we are, so that we can remember and understand the circumstances, try to avoid any further conflicts, preserve peace and stability, and not allow anyone to humiliate us and bring us to our knees. Is it easy? It is not, that is why it is done by the most responsible and capable of us all - the President of the Republic, the Minister of Defence concluded.
The president of the “Košare“ Veterans Association Ivan Antić pointed out the goals of this association, as well as the importance of opening its new premises in the city centre, adding that it was important to identify the veterans' problems.- Assistance is provided by both the city and the state, we still have a lot to improve, a lot to do. We are planning to provide more privileges for the Košare fighters – said the president of the association.
The mayor of Novi Sad Milan Đurić confirmed that the City would always be there for the association.
- The City of Novi Sad has helped the association by giving it these premises, and will continue to help it in the future if needed. What remains to be done is for the Novi Sad City Assembly to decide on the street to bear the name of the heroes of Košare, and for a school that will be built in Jugovićevo this year to be given the same name – said the mayor of Novi Sad Đurić.The “Košare” Veterans Association was founded on November 19, 2021 in Novi Sad with the aim of preserving the tradition of the Battle of Košare veterans and providing care and protection to wartime and peacetime disabled and other veterans and family members of fallen soldiers.
