Ministry of defence Republic of Serbia
 
27.10.2018.

During the three days of the Book Fair, the first circulation of “Ratnik” edition sold out




 
On the occasion of polemics in the part of the public about the publication of the “Ratnik” edition, we believe that the right question is why the truth about the heroic resistance of our army to NATO aggression has been waiting for 19 years and why we have allowed others to write our history for such a long time.
 
The Ministry of Defence is proud to present the “Ratnik” edition, which for the first time gathers memories of the most important war-time commanders on the heroic battle of members of our army in the defence of their homeland.
 
The truth is also greatly contributed by the General Nebojša Pavković's diary, memories of General Lazarević, as well as other memories of the commanders and fighters that we published in the books about the Pristina Corps and the battles on Košare and Paštrik.
 
We believe that the books from the “Ratnik” edition are also an opportunity for future historians to find valuable material, which explains the essence of the imposed wars in our territory. We do not see any reason to be ashamed of the struggle of our people and those who fought this fight.  We recall that generals Pavković and Lazarević, as well as other officers of the Yugoslav Armed Forces, were convicted for command responsibility and that they have the right to express their views of the historical events in which they participated.
 
There is no Ministry of Defence and the army that would miss the opportunity to preserve such important testimonies and show them, and there is no historical nation that would allow its truth not to be told and preserved. It has been too long and too often that others wrote history for Serbia and decided what was true and what was not. Serbia has been a victim of double standards many times and was convicted of crimes committed by others. This is our way of telling the truth about wars that Serbia did not demand or provoke, in which it was forced to defend itself. It is also interesting that nobody raised their voice against the publication of the book by Ramush Haradinaj, and that the “Ratnik” edition, on the other hand, is the subject of polemics in the public these days.
 
Before anyone makes a judgement, we propose zhat they read the books published in the “Ratnik” edition. The importance and necessity of publishing the “Ratnik” edition, the truth about the battles of our army, is best illustrated by the fact that the entire circulation intended for the Book Fair was sold out in the first three days of the Fair. The military printing house printed an additional circulation, so that the citizens can buy books from this edition at the Book Fair from yesterday on. 
 
When visiting the booth of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces at this year's Book Fair, foreign military attaches demanded that the books that were promoted be translated into English and other languages, which is the best proof how military profession appreciates our army and commanders.
 
The Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces are proud of each member of the Serbian Armed Forces, and especially those who bravely and decisively defended their people during the NATO aggression.