Gasic, Mojsilovic host Serbian Armed Forces Day reception

BELGRADE - Serbian Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic and Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Gen Milan Mojsilovic hosted a reception on Thursday evening to mark April 23 - Serbian Armed Forces Day.

The reception, held in the Large War Room of the Old General Staff building, was also attended by Patriarch Porfirije of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic, PM Djuro Macut, government ministers, officials of the parliament and state institutions, members of the Collegium of the defence minister and the chief of General Staff, as well as by Defence Ministry and Serbian Armed Forces personnel and representatives of religious communities.

On April 23, we commemorate the 1815 Second Serbian Uprising, "the moment when the Serbs, for a second time since the beginning of the 19th century, decided to fight the invaders while being aware of the risk and the price of that choice," Gasic said in an address.

"That decision was the first stone in the foundations of the country that we are protecting and defending today. Modern Serbia emerged from that struggle. From the rebels' sacrifice, our freedom emerged. And from their determination emerged an army that still stands as a guardian of all that is sacred to us. Our army has always been more than an armed force - it was the backbone of the state and something the people relied on, a guarantee of survival in the toughest of ordeals. That is why, in the hearts and the minds of our people, that institution is much more than a state authority. It is synonymous with stability, honesty and trust," Gasic said.

"In a time of challenges and complex global relations, Serbia is conducting a responsible and consistent policy, a policy of military neutrality, independence and preservation of peace and stability," he said, noting that the Serbian Armed Forces were the strongest and the most dependable pillar supporting that policy.

"Today, unlike in some past times, our military is a modern, professional army, equipped with leading-edge arms and equipment, and its ranks are filled with highly-motivated and highly-trained personnel. I assure you that, as such, it is ready to respond to all contemporary security challenges, and it represents the strongest deterrent to potential aggressors," Gasic said.

The Serbian Armed Forces Day is marked on April 23, the date when the Second Serbian Uprising against Ottoman occupation began in 1815, representing a turning point in the creation of a modern Serbian state and army.