"Serbia must not be dragged into turmoil again"

"Serbia must not be dragged into turmoil again"

"They want to drag us into turmoil, but we already suffered a lot," Nikolić cautioned.

He noted that "perpetrators" of the 1999 bombing of Serbia - i.e., NATO - "recently admitted that they did it without a UN approval under the pretext of trying to prevent possible suffering of one people and potential expulsion of civilians."

"They found an excuse for the bombing of a sovereign state, a UN member, and the killing of its children and destruction of its resources that were created by its citizens, in prevention of potential suffering. They had better not try to invent any excuse, as there was none- or they had better admit what the real reason was - the creation of an Albanian state in the territory of Serbia," Nikolić said.

Describing this as a dangerous precedent "and something that would be shameful even for barbarian peoples from the pre-Christian era," Nikolić said that "Serbia rightly expects to get back on its feet."

He said that big and heavily-armed states still demonstrate that they take different approaches to solving similar issues in the world.

"Neither do they ask us when they quarrel and put world peace at risk, nor they will consult us when they make peace," Nikolić said.

"They want to drag us into sufferings, but we already endured suffering, inflicted even by our allies in the world wars. Today, it is our task to give birth and live, and not to wage wars and die; never again because of quarrels of others," the Serbian president said.

He noted that, in World War II, Serbia was on the winning side, but was again drawn into a state based on compromise (Yugoslavia) and forgiveness of the unforgivable. And after it, the people again experienced persecutions, insults, he added.

In World War I, Serbia was on the winning side, but lost the healthiest, most capable and best people in armed conflicts, even though a Serbian soldier was respected by allies, as well as enemies, the president said.

Nikolić said that the WWI centenary is an opportunity to remember the heroic deeds and suffering of the people and army, "unmatched in the recent history", and added that the tactics and doctrine of Serbian military leaders in that war are studied at military schools across the globe.

In modern history, Serbia has never waged conquering, but only defensive wars. It has always been on the winning side of justice, he said.

Nikolić noted that army was very active in UN and EU multinational operations, adding that through engagement in peacekeeping missions the country assists citizens in the parts of the world where human lives are in jeopardy.

The president said that, in accordance with the Constitution that guarantees freedom of belief, religious service was reintroduced in the Serbian Army.

"It is my honor that the reputation of our army is at an extraordinary level, that it commands such respect, which has been confirmed with a considerable increase in the presence of the Serbian Armed Forces in international peacekeeping missions in the last two years," Nikolić said.

"Conscientious, responsible, and disciplined"

Over the past year, the Serbian Armed Forces carried out all their tasks in a conscientious, responsible and disciplined manner, Serbian Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Ljubiša Diković said on Wednesday.

"The members of the armed forces are used to this and we know no other way of working," Diković said at the ceremony in Užice.

"We work, we are frugal and we protect - mostly peace in the country, but in the world as well," he said.

The gathering was attended by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić and Defense Minister Nebojša Rodić.

Also attending were the head of the caretaker government Ivica Dačić, and his ministers Zorana Mihajlović and Ivan Mrkić, and diplomats and representatives of religious communities.

The Serbian Armed Forces celebrate their day on April 23 to commemorate the day of the start of the Second Serbian Uprising in 1815.