State officials attend Armistice Day events

State officials attend Armistice Day events

He then wrote in the memorial book: "From this place, from your sacrifice, Serbia draws her strength for the journey forward. There should be no worry about a Serbia which has you as role models."

The president was accompanied by a delegation that included the army chief, Gen. Ljubiša Diković.

Armistice Day is observed in memory of all the innocent victims who died between 1914 and 1918, and is a non-working day in Serbia, marked with many events.

Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić was at the Monument to the Defenders of Belgrade, where he placed a wreath, saying that the significant date is "not merely a reason to turn to the past, but also a day of warning, learning and memories about one of the greatest tragedies that befell our country."

"The country whose past is measured in centuries, many significant events and prominent individuals has an obligation and responsibility to cherish the memories based on facts," said Vučić.

He added that our country's heritage is the shared history of the European continent and that Serbia, resisting many challenges throughout its history, chose "the advanced side", seeking freedom and progress.

This commitment, he said, often put our country in a delicate position which sometimes also led to armed conflict.

The First World War was particularly tragic for European countries "because it started with the attack of superior empires against the small Kingdom of Serbia," said Vučić.

"The four years of war were filled with the suffering of the civilian population and Serbian soldiers, the destruction of cultural and material goods, but also major military victories marked the history of the last century," he recalled adding that there are few families in Serbia that did not lose at least one member during the war.

It is precisely the scope and the consequences of the suffering of our people that obligate us to active remembrance, combating stereotypes and every form of hatred, Vučić said.

"Us inhabitants of this part of Europe know what it means when bigotry and hatred become key factors in the policy of great (powers) and when large complex international relations engulf small European countries like Serbia," he stated.

"But our strength is emphasized in our unity, a sense of loyalty to the fatherland and to the ideals of peace, non-violence and cooperation," he said and added:

"Our strength is in the ability to observe our own failures and mistakes, boldly and decisively step up in a positive direction. Our strength is in the new generations, to whom we owe a life in an arranged prosperous society of strong institutions."

According to him, "we will create the conditions for real progress for our only homeland, Serbia, if we show that we are able to learn from the four years of suffering of the heroes of the First World War."

"It is time for a new phase, a new step into the future that we will all together shape in accordance with the needs of the citizens of Serbia. It is not just the responsibility of today toward the generations yet to come, it is our obligation to the heroes of the First World War who died for freedom, independence of Serbia, and whom we must never, in any way, disgrace," said he.

Vučić added that the strength of this country lies in its hard-working citizens, conscious of the responsibility to create value in the public life, and that "honor is the only thing that has no price."

"With these thoughts and messages I invite you to dedicate this day to the memory of our ancestors, Serbian heroes, as well as to find in their achievements for victory in peace that together we must achieve," Vučić said.

He added that it was a special honor for him to be there with representatives of those countries "that we until yesterday referred to as defeated."

"These countries are our great friends and with them we build the future," said Vučić.