Vucic marks Day of Serb Unity, Freedom and Flag with soldiers at Usce in Belgrade

Serbia and the RS are marking a joint holiday - the Day of Serb Unity, Freedom and National Flag, the day when the Macedonian Front was broken through in 1918. The holiday was established last year.

The Day of Serbian Unity, Freedom and National Flag will be marked throughout Serbia and the RS, and citizens are invited to display the flag on their homes.

Vucic at the display of weapons and military equipment at Usce

"You can tell us that our Army is weak, and then you can come here to Usce and see that we are five times stronger than you think," said President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic.

"We used to destroy Strelas (missile systems), 10-15 years ago they would give us $200 for each Strela we destroyed. Now that is no longer the case, we are developing our Army, we are militarily neutral but we are free and independent and taking care of our weapons and tools and we can be proud of our Army. Our food reserves are at a 100 percent level, we have literally stocked up on everything and given out more money than ever before. People and salaries are something we still have to motivate. We will see some solutions. And people can be proud of everything they see," the president of Serbia told journalists.

After arriving at Usce, the president of Serbia greeted the lined up soldiers, and then, in the company of Nenad Miloradovic, Assistant Minister of Defense for Material Resources, he inspected the weapons.

"Over 70 percent of our people (Army members) are from five districts in the south of Serbia. They have always been the bravest part of all of us, they whine the least, they love Serbia endlessly. Literally everything is the south of Serbia," the president said in conversation with the soldiers.

"A good machine?" the president asked a tank crew he found in front of a T-72MS, who replied that it was the best.

Then there was a discussion about the Kornet anti-tank missiles, which are currently among the best in the world, and Miloradovic informed the president that we will get those weapons by the end of the year.

"A powerful missile, it's cheap, and it destroys a tank that costs three or four million. Those western tanks cost five or more," said Vucic.

Representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the Army showed the president vehicles and weapons, which citizens will also be able to see until 6 pm today.

In conversation with the soldiers, two of whom said that they were from Nis, while one lady in uniform was from Prokuplje, Vucic said that the Pcinj and Toplica districts effectively make up our Army, that these are people who do not whine and who love Serbia.

"The south of Serbia makes up our Army. There are much more people from the south than from Belgrade and Vojvodina. Our heroic Toplica has perhaps always loved the Army the most," he said.

Vucic also recalled an accident on Mt. Kopaonik when a deminer was killed, that happened just as he had become the Minister of Defense, saying it was extremely difficult for him to tell the family.

"I went to his family in Toplica... Those people know what the Army is, that it's not a runway for models," he added.

As he was touring the weapons on display, Vucic was informed about the tanks that the Serbian Army has at its disposal, while the soldiers explained their performances. He also joked with Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Army Milan Mojsilovic, pointing out the importance of tanks for the Army.

"When you ask Mojsilovic about the situation with the Air Force, he always says, 'president, let me show you our tanks'. A tank crewman," Vucic said with a smile.

The president also said that the Kornet anti-tank missiles are expected to arrive in Serbia, which are very important for the Army.

"It all comes to us in February or early March, so let's do something to show that new equipment," Vucic added.

He asked the soldiers what their "machines" were, and received the answer that they were all new generation and very helpful to them as they perform their tasks.

Asked if they were satisfied with the equipment, the soldiers said that they were more and more satisfied compared to the situation four years ago, in terms of equipment and uniforms.

Vucic stressed that it is important to keep people, especially those working for the Military-Technical Institute.

He also got acquainted with a modular rifle used by the Serbian Army.

"Since we cannot compare our modular rifles with Belgian and German ones, are they of any use," he asked, and the soldiers stressed that they are, because they are very precise, and proved to be reliable in the 600 meter range.

Vucic said that he was very happy with that answer and that the only objection he heard from Russian Defense Minister Shoigu was that the rifle's magazine was not transparent, so soldier cannot see how many bullets are left in there.

Vucic congratulated the Ministry of Defense on this presentation and their excellent results, and invited all citizens of Serbia to come here and bring their children to see our weapons.

The weapons on display at Usce today are manufactured in Serbia and abroad, and used by the Serbian Army - helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, air defense systems, armored and combat vehicles, artillery and missile systems and equipment for special units.

Special emphasis is on the products of the Serbian defense industry, such as artillery systems Nora and Oganj, air defense systems PASARS, combat armored vehicles Lazar and Milos, as well as on current projects of modernization and development of weapons for the sake of further equipping the Serbian Army.

At the stand of the Military Academy, visitors will be able to try their hand at shooting from air rifles, while at the stand of the Military Technical Institute, projects will be presented from the field of research and development of weapons realized by this eminent institution.

The thematic exhibition of the Military Museum on the occasion of the anniversary of the breakthrough of the Macedonian Front, as well as weapons and uniforms from the Balkan Wars and the First World War will also be shown, the Ministry of Defense announced earlier.

Central event at the monument to Stefan Nemanja

The central event to mark the holiday today will be held on Sava Square in Belgrade, near the monument to Stefan Nemanja.

The official start of the ceremony will be marked by an honorary artillery salvo fired from the Kalemegdan Fortress at 5:30 pm.

The plan is for several columns to pass through the streets of Belgrade. One will start from Vojvode Vuka Park, another from the monument to Njegos on the plateau in front of the Faculty of Philosophy. Those two columns will meet and unite at the monument to Prince Mihailo on Republic Square, and then continue towards Slavija.

On Slavija Square, the column from the city center will meet with yet another, third one, which will start from the monument to Karadjordje in the park in front of the Temple of Saint Sava.

From there they will head together toward the monument to Stefan Nemanja on Sava Square.

Helicopters carrying Serbian flags will fly over Belgrade the whole time.

In addition to President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic the ceremony on Sava Square will also be addressed by Patriarch Porfirije and the Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik.

The decision to celebrate this joint holiday was made in August last year during a meeting between Vucic and Dodik, and representatives of the Serb Republic.

September 15 was chosen because on that day, 103 years ago, the breakthrough of the Macedonian Front occurred during the First World War.

(Telegraf.rs)