Vucic: Special forces a treasure for every country, we will continue to develop them

BELGRADE - Special forces are a treasure and an enormous resource for every country, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday at a ceremony that marked the day of Serbia's Special Anti-Terrorist Unit (SAJ).

"Further development of special forces units means survival for our people and our country because it is only through them that we can safeguard peace," Vucic said at the SAJ base near the Belgrade suburb of Batajnica.

"I believe at least one major regional conflict in the past three years ended in victory of one of the sides due to the exceptional power - or superiority - of the military and police special forces of that country compared to those of the other country. It was a conflict in the Caucasus," Vucic said.

Noting that 16 men who had "lived for SAJ" had sacrificed their lives for the Fatherland, Vucic said Serbia would always stand with their families as much as it was able to.

"They are our heroes," he noted.

"You can expect the situation around us to become increasingly difficult, whatever anyone might say to you. I hope we will succeed in avoiding the whirlwind of a war conflict that is looming over Europe," Vucic also said.

Earlier, Vucic laid a wreath at a memorial wall honouring the fallen SAJ servicemen.