Ministry wants movie made about defense of Kosare Outpost

Ministry wants movie made about defense of Kosare Outpost

The Battle of Kosare took place from April 9 until June 14, 1999 on the border between Serbia (then part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) and Albania. Members of the Yugoslav Army (VS) came under attack of the KLA ("Kosovo Liberation Army"), who were backed by the Albanian Army and NATO's warplanes.

The defense of the Kosare border outpost prevented a ground invasion of Serbia, and ensured that the communications between Serbian units remained in place.

Vulin, who today met with veterans who took part in the battle, told reporters afterwards that he "had the honor to talk with people who gave everything to their country, without asking much in return."

"The Ministry of Labor sees it as its duty, but more as an honor to fight to improve the position of the members of veteran organizations. All our fighters, regardless of whether they were at Kosare or in those wars in the 1990s - which Serbia neither caused, nor led - have the right to be cared for by the state," Vulin said.

The minister believes that the state for a long time turned its head away from them and kept silent about their role, "or allowed bad things to be said about them, allowed them to be treated like the worst."

"These people were the best, in no way could they have been the worst," Vulin stressed.

Speaking about a planned law on veteran rights, Vulin said it would "restore dignity to the fighter":

"We have launched an initiative to build a monument to the Kosare fighters in Belgrade, to all those fighters who gave their lives defending the country. We want to make a film about Kosare, the ministry will address the public and invite our best to produce a screenplay, in this way leaving an indelible memory about the battle to generations to come."

Vulin also stressed that his ministry will continue to push to improve the position of the veteran population, and pointed out that for the first time, scholarships have been provided for their children through an agreement signed with more than 40 higher education institutions.

"Also for the first time, the ministry has started covering the cost of spa treatments for our fighters, and for the first time we're marking all the dates from our past," the minister said.

"A country unable to think of those who defended and create it cannot hope to raise a generation that will one day take care of it," Vulin stressed.

Retired Colonel Ljubinko Djurkovic, who attended the meeting on Thursday, thanked the Labor Ministry and Vulin for what he said was "an initiative to restore the dignity of warriors and heroes."

"He undertook with pleasure the obligations to solve the numerous issues of war veterans and war veterans with disabilities, through the creation and adoption of a law that concerns them and the members of their families," Djurkovic said.