22.03.2024.
Minister Vučević opens conference "From Aggression to a New Legal Order"
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Miloš Vučević opened a two-day international conference titled "From Aggression to a New Legal Order" at the Central Military Club in Belgrade today.
At the beginning of the conference, the president of the Belgrade Forum for a World of Equals, Živadin Jovanović, greeted those present and offered them best wishes for a successful conference, which was organized by the Belgrade Forum for a World of Equals, the Club of Generals and Admirals of Serbia, the Union of War Veterans of the National Liberation Wars of Serbia (SUBNOR), the association "Serbian Military Intelligence Service Veterans" and the Diaspora Fund For Serbia.Opening the conference, Minister Vučević reminded those present that a quarter of a century has passed since the NATO aggression and numerous events that followed, which we remember with both sadness and immense respect for our heroes and all those who gave their lives defending the fatherland.
- When we talk about what happened to us 25 years ago and when we analyze what happened to us after that and even what is happening to us today, we see that there is an increasing number of people throughout the world who think freely, speak and think rationally and objectively about what happened to us 25 years ago. But we can safely say that March 24, 1999, brought enormous sadness, first of all because of the suffering inflicted on a sovereign and free state, but also because of the death of public international law. It is clear to everyone that on that day law was violated and justice was trampled upon. Proof of that, among other things, are numerous experts who have come to this conference from all over the world. In our country, there will always be a feeling of sadness and indignation at the mention of the NATO aggression against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro. We cannot and will not forget the children, civilians, soldiers, police officers, bridges, infrastructure, tears, fear and disbelief at the fact that we were attacked, we who have made millions of sacrifices for a better and more just world, who are a founding member of the League of Nations and the United Nations, who fought and suffered the greatest losses as a nation against fascism and Nazism - said Minister Vučević.We want to remind the general public, at home and abroad, of the facts and circumstances that took place before, during and after the unlawful and illegitimate NATO aggression against our country, Minister Vučević said.
- Today we can say with certainty that it was a turning point in history and a prelude to what the world is facing today. The aggression was the end of justice and morality and it was grossly unfair. However, in conferences like this and in similar events, we need to explain to the younger generations the dramatic course of events of the Yugoslav crisis and the unprecedented aggression of 19 most developed countries in the world in military and economic terms against our country, as well as the pogrom of the martyred Serbian people in troubled Kosovo and Metohija, which has continued to the present day. What happened to Serbia and Montenegro after March 24, 1999, has led to the situation that we now have in Kosovo and Metohija - said Minister Vučević.Our people, army and police offered strong resistance to terrorists and aggressors, and our heroes remained undefeated, he said.
- And we must never allow neither our fellow countrymen nor people belonging to other nations to convince us that we were defeated. We were not defeated on the battlefield. People who pledged their loyalty to the motherland defended it to the end. We remember the bravest among them who gave their lives to save the lives of their children, parents, friends and colleagues, to defend their country. None of them said "I can't" or "I don’t dare", nor did they care about the superiority of the opponent. The defence of their people and their country took priority over their own lives. And that is why Kosovo and Metohija is more important than all of us. And no one can explain that to those who only deal in facts and forget that our people would not exist, that we would have disappeared in the course of history, had we built our identity on mere materialism - emphasized the minister of defence.
According to Minister Vučević, we have survived because we have built dreaming about and believing in a free Serbia.- We remember the horrors and the suffering of our people, as well as the destruction of our country's heritage and monuments of cultural and historical importance, many of which date back to the earliest periods of the Serbian statehood. We also remember the pollution caused by depleted uranium, which was dropped on us without mercy and without any responsibility. From the first terrorist attacks and NATO aggression to the present day, we have been witnesses to numerous humanitarian disasters that are the result of the politics of force and belief in one's own supremacy, a belief that overlooks the eternal truth - that justice will have the final say. Therefore, it is the duty of all of us to preserve the memories of our comrades, of our friends and loved ones who paid the highest price, to remember their deeds and to make their heroism and sacrifice an example for young generations - Minister Vučević said.
Our survival, said the minister of defence, depends on our faith in a free Serbia and our persistence and constant effort to fulfil that dream.
- That is the only way, everyone must know that. Minister Selaković said that the cause or the goal of the NATO aggression had two aspects - the occupation and confiscation of one part of our country’s territory. This still continues today - the shameless attempts to persuade us that we should come to terms with the situation and acknowledge that giving up part of our territory is good and useful for us, and that a period of incredible prosperity and success awaits us in the future - said Minister Vučević.This is not the first time we have heard similar wording, he said. They said the same thing when the Serbian people suffered a disaster and were expelled from Krajina, when operations Storm and Flash took place and when more than 100,000 Serbs left Sarajevo.
- Even after the changes following October 5, 2000, they said that "when the regime changes, you will see that Kosovo and Metohija is not a question of the confiscation of territory, but a question of democratic institutions, relations". Then, the phrase "standards before status" appeared, but all of that has resulted in nothing more than the acts of terror that are still being carried out against Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija today, they are not allowed to receive medical treatment, they cannot get medicines, food, groceries, they cannot have property, they cannot use their currency, in a word - they are unwelcome in Kosovo and Metohija. And yes, perhaps "if our people got into trucks and tractors and moved from there, which we had unfortunately experienced before, all the problems would go away and everything would be settled," said Minister Vučević.
Therefore, it is our duty, Minister Vučević said, to tell new generations the truth about the NATO aggression against Serbia and Montenegro and the truth about Kosovo and Metohija after a quarter of a century, because it is not a thing of the past, it is ongoing and cannot be explained by mere facts.- At the same time, we must show political maturity in order to preserve the country and continue to develop and make it stronger. We must never give up on the truth and never put out the flame of freedom and never forget the people who gave their lives to defend the homeland. May their glory be eternal and may Serbia live forever - Minister Vučević said at the end of his speech.
Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs Nikola Selaković, Minister of the Interior Bratislav Gašić, General Vladimir Lazarević (retd) and president of the Assembly of the Generals and Admirals’ Club, General Milomir Miladinović (retd) also addressed the audience.
In his speech, Minister Selaković wondered whether the aggression that began on March 24, 1999 really ended on June 10, 1999, or is it still going on.- The years that have passed have made our people find the strength to stand up, to continue to fight for their future, to grow economically and make their Serbia stronger, creating a future for new generations, to strengthen their armed forces and establish their military neutrality, but also to carefully and devotedly build the culture of remembrance, keeping the memory of all the heroes who defended their homeland, who fell fighting for freedom, and of all the innocent victims killed by the aggressors, who randomly bombarded cities when they were not satisfied with the results achieved. Therefore, one of the main tasks of the state that falls within the competence of the department I am in charge of, is to take care of the families of fallen soldiers, to take care of the war-disabled, to take care of those who survived the war unscathed, to erect monuments, to save heroes and martyrs from oblivion and to preserve our Kosovo and Metohija. It is the task of all of us. But it is also our task to fight for the truth about us, about our struggle and about Serbia - said Minister Selaković.
Minister of the Interior Bratislav Gašić said that a great injustice had been done to us in 1999.- Destructive power was exerted over our people, the effects of which we can still feel today. There is no justification for the crimes committed against our people, against our country. We defended freedom so that our children and future generations would live in peace, so that they would have a stable and modern state, a state that they would continue to build, not rebuild. Today, we have new roads, bridges, boulevards, we have refurbished schools and rebuilt all other material things that could be rebuilt, but we cannot restore the lives of innocent civilians, innocent children, soldiers and policemen. That is why it is important to remember them always and forever. It is our duty to teach future generations how to preserve the memory of the innocent victims, because that way we teach them that freedom and life in peace are precious - said Minister Gašić.
General Lazarević, commander of the Priština Corps during the NATO aggression against Yugoslavia, emphasized the heroism and humanity of the members of the Third Army and the Priština Corps during the defence of the country, and General Milomir Miladinović, president of the Assembly of the Generals and Admirals’ Club, greeted everyone and thanked them for coming to pay respect to the victims of aggression and condemn the NATO aggression against Yugoslavia.
During the two-day conference, participants will discuss global security versus global aggression, as well as the consequences of aggression and future prospects.The opening of the conference was attended by members of the boards of the Minister of Defence and the Chief of the General Staff, representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, the current military bishop - Bishop Dositej of Lipljan, representatives of the diplomatic corps, veterans, former commanders, numerous guests from Serbia and abroad and organizers.
