17.04.2018.

Awards to the members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces

Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin, Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, General Ljubiša Diković and Secretary-General of the Association of Serbian Insurers, Duško Jovanović, have presented the members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces with money prizes for the work done and achieved results of special importance, at the Great War Hall of the Old General Staff building, today.

The 100,000 dinar prizes were awarded in six categories for the first time on the occasion of the Serbian Armed Forces Day, and the money prizes were provided by the Association of Serbian Insurers.

Minister Vulin presented the awards to Private First Class Miroslav Potić for saving lives and elementary and technical and technological diseaster relief, and Private First Class Srđan Ristić for the achieved results in the field of culture, tradition and sports.

In the category of the best military, Lieutenant General Đokica Petrović was awarded for remarkable results and outstanding dedication and devotion in the performance of regular duties of military personnel, and in the category of the best civilian, Milan Pavlović was awarded for remarkable results and expressed extraordinary dedication and devotion in the performance of regular duties of civilian personnel. They were presented with the awards by the Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces.

The Secretary General of the Association of Serbian Insurers presented the award to the best healthcare worker, Major Saša Dimitrijević, for outstanding results and expressed outstanding dedication and devotion in performing regular duties in the field of health care.

Subsequently, the award will be presented in the category of the best researcher to the civilian Milan Milošević, PhD, for the achieved results in the field of science and development of arms and military equipment.

The Minister of Defence thanked the Association of Serbian Insurers as this segment of our society recognized the value and importance of the Serbian Armed Forces.

- The Serbian Armed Forces is the people of Serbia. You cannot separate the Serbian Armed Forces from the people you belong to. Always sharing good and evil, being there for the worst, and living for the good, and everything that makes our life worth living, the Serbian Armed Forces is doing a difficult and responsible task. Neither our soldier, nor officer, nor civilian asks to be thanked and asks to be recognised for the difficulties he faces and for the responsibility of the work he performs. But it means to us when we see that our Serbia loves us, respects us, appreciates and understands how responsible and difficult it is to be a member of the Serbian Armed Forces and how important it is to have a strong, organized, equipped and satisfied Serbian Armed Forces, Minister Vulin said.

According to him, Serbia is loved and a member of the Serbian Armed Forces did not choose that honourable and noble profession because of salary, award, decorations or gratitude.

- He chose to sincerely love his country and people because he is ready to devote his life to serving his country and people, ready to be with them when it is difficult and when it is hardest. And it means to us when we see that Serbia and every part of it understands, respects, appreciates and loves us. I thank the Association of Serbian Insurers as they showed us that they recognize and understand the difficult and honourable military life and that they want to be part of it, Minister Vulin said.

Congratulating the award winners, Minister Vulin noted that every prize has been earned.

- You are selected on the basis of the will of your colleagues, those who know you, understand, who share bread, every difficulty and joy with you. You are selected for what you are doing and representing and for the pride of your army. I am glad that this will become a traditional action and that we will be able to choose the best among us every year, to reward them and thank them for spending that year in their army, the Minister of Defence concluded.

On behalf of the award winners, Lieutenant General Đokica Petrović addressed the participants. He thanked everyone and noted that the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces are composed of worthy, honest, dedicated, devoted and courageous members.

- We, the awarded ones, are only a small part of the great group of outstanding people who make up the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, General Petrović said.

Secretary General of the Association, Duško Jovanović, noted that he was sure that “the best selection of the award winners was made” and promised that the cooperation has started to mutual satisfaction. He also praised the idea of Minister Vulin about the cooperation of these institutions, which launched “a nice and quality action”.

- Our intention and desire for the future is to support all the qualities in the high quality Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, Jovanović said.