"Nation that forgets history is doomed to repeat it"

"Nation that forgets history is doomed to repeat it"

The outgoing prime minister also stated that "this year the international community is talking more about the legal framework for the bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia," and added that it did not exist.

"Today, Serbia has a policy that attempts to amicably resolve all the problems it faces and God forbid that such things never happen again," said Dačić.

He pointed out that keeping their memory also means preserving memories of this "historic event" and drawing the lesson that Serbia must do all so that in the coming period it defends its national and state interests "in a manner that prevents any possibility of an attack."

He pointed out to the state's obligation to take care of all the families of the victims, and for the younger generations "not to forget what happened then."

Dačić said that it is "certain" that the events that followed after NATO's aggression were designed to break up the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia.

He recalled that during the bombing more than 2,000 people were killed, and they more than 10,000 injured, with material damage of "several tens of billions of dollars," pointing out the necessity of "complete renewal of what was destroyed."

Dačić said that Serbia today achieves only 65 percent of the GDP it had in hich had in 1989, and that "for that reason there is not a lot of time and it must go further into the future promptly and with great strides."

"An integral part of the future is a part of our past and drawing lessons from it - the day today serves not to forget," he said.

Wreaths were laid also at the monument by outgoing Parliament Speaker Nebojša Stefanović, and family members of the fallen soldiers of the 210the Signals Battalion of the Yugoslav Army - Vlastimir Lazarević and Vladimir Vujović.

The ceremony was also attended by ministers Aleksandar Antić and health Slavica Đukić-Dejanović.

After the sounding of the national anthem and a minute of silence, priest Nenad Đuršević held a memorial service for the fallen soldiers and all the victims of NATO's bombing.

Commander of the 210th Battalion Major Željko Lukić noted in his address that during the 78-day campaign against Serbia, NATO dropped 21,000 tons of explosives and that 1,150 aircraft fired 1,300 cruise missiles and about 2,900 bombs.

41 members of the VJ Air Force and Air Defense (RV/PVO) died during the war.

An underground RV/PVO command center was located at Straževica and was often the target of NATO airstrikes during the 78-day war.

A series of commemorative events are held across Serbia today to mark the 15th anniversary of the start of the war.