Remembrance Day for Victims of NATO Aggression against FR Yugoslavia

The central event, the commemoration of the 1999 NATO Aggression Remembrance Day, was held at the Colonel-Pilot Milenko Pavlović Military Airfield in Batajnica this evening, with Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces and President of the Republic, Aleksandar Vučić, and President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, in attendance.

Minister of Defence Bratislav Gašić and Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff General Milan Mojsilović attended the Remembrance Day Ceremony .

The commemoration started with a commemorative service performed by His Holiness Porfirije, Serbian Patriarch, and priests, and a minute’s silence for all the victims of the aggression.

Addressing the assembled people, President Vučić has pointed out that 26 years after the NATO aggression, he feels, both as a Serb and President of Serbia, infinite pride, but also a sense of sadness and grief for the victims.

— Despite everything we have lost, they did not defeat us.  Because we were attacked by 19 powers that are 67 times more populous than us and have 228 times more territory than us. They were 518 times richer than us at the time, but we did not bow our heads, we did not fall never to get up again — said President Vučić.

He has stressed that he stands today as the President of a free country that makes its own decisions and is sovereign and independent.

— Therefore, all developments of 1999 were not a defeat for us, although we sustained heavy losses. We have nothing to be ashamed of. After all these bombs and puppets who later seized power to loot and serve someone else, our Serbia is again a country that has only been made stronger by these misfortunes, said the President, adding that “they did inflict immense pain on us, killing children, pregnant women, women, the elderly, police officers and soldiers”.

On this occasion, the President of Serbia has said that NATO attacks destroyed hospitals, bridges and everything we had been building for decades; however, that pain produced something they had not hoped for – defiance, pride and the decision “to be our own masters, to rebuild everything they destroyed and create an independent Serbia, respected and heard, not giving up its dignity and its freedom.”

— Of course, many are bothered by this even today. This is, of course, unpopular in the world of force, world without principles, world that does not respect international law, but only its own interests. It bothers them despite the fact that Serbia has been insisting on peace for 13 years now, that it wants to compete only in economy, and, without being a threat to anyone, it had been winning in the spheres of business, development, sports, science until recently, when they attacked us again using different means. All this time, Serbia has not hated or despised anyone in its surroundings or in the world. In fact, they are bothered by the success we have achieved without weapons, without conflicts, a success that is in many ways historic, not depending on circumstances, difficult times or crises we did not cause. They are bothered by the fact that we work, while some others want to wage war — said President Vučić, adding that they were bothered by the fact that we could be free and independent.

According to him, that is why they have launched a different force against Serbia. They have pumped in millions and told countless lies in an attempt to seize Serbia by force against the will of the people and hand it over to those who were once destroying it. That is why today, 26 years after the aggression, after so much suffering, death, blood and frenzied destruction of our country, we must provide clear answers to a whole series of questions.

— As a Serb and President of Serbia, I feel proud knowing that we are going to win, regardless of their growingly impotent rampage and increasingly frequent violence throughout Serbia. I know that the decent, hardworking and honest Serbia will never give up. Whatever they may do, Serbia will not be enslaved this time. It will remain free and independent, and only those who win people’s trust exclusively in the elections, will be able to rule it — said the President of Serbia, stressing that no one would change the will of the people, because their will had been forged in wars, by big bombs, which made our small nation great and proud.

Speaking of the victims of NATO aggression, President Vučić has said that we must not and will not forget the fact that our children were being killed.

 — As our Patriarch has said, we must forgive, but we must never forget. Fifteen or twenty years ago, many in our country wanted us to forget it; they called the aggression an intervention. I am proud that, as President of Serbia, I was able to lay a wreath at the monument to Colonel Pavlović and to visit Crniljevo, to talk to his son Nemanja. I am proud that we remember our heroes. We are able to do so thanks to our agreement with Republika Srpska and President Dodik to meet every year to commemorate the suffering of our people — said the President of Serbia.

He has said that he will fully restore stability, peace, order and discipline to Serbia and that the democratic majority of Serbia wants to respect the victims from our past, but also wants to look to the future.

— Eternal glory to our heroes who fought for the freedom of their homeland, knowing that the enemy they were approaching was much more powerful and stronger. Infinite gratitude to those who showed that humanity and heroism have no limits — concluded the President of Serbia. 

According to President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik, there were many sad days in the history of Serbian people, and this one is, undoubtedly, one of them. Dodik said that “despite the injustice it suffered, Serbia must find the strength to move on”.

In his sermon, Patriarch Porfirije has said that it is always in moments like these that we hardly dare to speak, when we remember the bitter episodes of our long-suffering history which has had very short periods of peace and wellbeing from the time of collapse of the Serbian Empire until now. 

— It is this dismal feeling when we are at a loss for words and wisdom to say anything, but the facts do not allow us to remain silent. Then come to mind the words of the Old Testament prophet, King David, who sang grievingly about himself and suffering of his people. It is as if he were speaking about the history of Serbian Orthodox people in the 20th century, rather than the Jewish people in 1000 BC - said Patriarch Porfirije, adding that on this day he felt duty and responsibility to call on everyone from Saint Sava’s throne to remember the holy words of Christ “love your neighbor as yourself”, without forgetting, distorting or acting completely contrary to them.

Nemanja Pavlović, son of Colonel Milenko Pavlović, who was killed during the NATO aggression, also addressed the audience. He said that, speaking about his father, he was also speaking about all those who defended our fatherland 26 years ago.

— On May 04, 1999, following the example of his ancestors, our father took off from this airfield, from this very runway, not on an ordinary combat mission but to make history, legend, chronicle. He went into battle against those who know nothing about history or roots, glory or honor, pride or human dignity. He took off determined to protect the weak, not only in the city of Valjevo, but also in the cradle of our nation, the place of our birth, Kosovo and Metohija. Showing us that Kosovo and Metohija is not the geography of an area, but the topography of the meaning of life and determination — said Pavlović, adding that we were obliged to remember our heroes, without whom we would not exist.

The central event has been attended by the Speaker of the National Assembly of Serbia, Serbian Prime Minister, Government ministers, MPs, representatives of the institutions of Republika Srpska and North Macedonia, members of the Defence Minister’s and Chief of the General Staff’s respective collegiums, representatives of local government, religious communities, diplomatic corps, families of the victims and numerous citizens.

The Remembrance Day for Victims of NATO Aggression has been marked at the commands, units and establishments of the Serbian Armed Forces; commemorative gatherings have been held as well as wreath-laying ceremonies at memorials to fallen members of the armed forces. Members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces also participated in the commemorative ceremonies at the local level.