20.10.2019.
The stand of the Ministry of Defense and the Serbian Armed Forces opens at the 64th International Book Fair in Belgrade
State Secretary at the Ministry of Defense, Aleksandar Živković opened the stand of the Ministry of Defense and the Serbian Armed Forces at the 64th Belgrade International Book Fair tonight.
Welcoming the gathered guests and fans of the “military” written word at the biggest and most important event in the honor of the book in our country, and greeting them on behalf of the Minister of Defense, Aleksandar Vulin, Secretary of State Živković recalled the words of our Nobel laureate, Ivo Andrić, who said that “to remain indifferent to books means to seamlessly carelessly impoverish your life.”
- I am convinced that you will not remain indifferent when you look at the publications of the Ministry of Defense and that you will want to read many of them in order to enrich a part of your life. The Ministry of Defense and our publishing house Media Center “Odbrana” (“Defense”) will introduce 150 publications by the end of the year. Most of them will be published in Serbian, but there are some that will be published in other languages. One of them is the monograph “Spomen sobe u Ministarstvu odbrane i Vojsci Srbije – Ogledalo istorije i tradicije 1804-1918” (“Memorial rooms at MoD and SAF – A Reflection of History and Tradition 1804-1918”). That monograph is a reflection of our need to maintain and preserve a part of national history through the culture of memory, to value and develop our military and libertarian traditions, said Živković, pointing out as particularly important among the numerous publications of the defense system the edition “Ratnik” (“Warrior”) launched last year.
- This year, there have already been 12 publications presenting valuable testimonies of what happened 20 years ago, during defense against the NATO aggression on our homeland. In the most humble way, with new and abridged editions, we also pay homage to the heroes of the homeland, members of the Armed Forces and the Police who laid their lives in defense of the homeland against aggression and the Shiptar terrorist and separatist forces in Kosovo and Metohija, the State Secretary said, thanking all those whose hard work and dedication has helped military publishing become richer for 150 new titles this year, and above all, the employees of the Media Center “Odbrana”, the Military Printing House and the Public Relations Department.
- I hope that the days of the Fair before us will be remembered at this stand by the words “defense”, “freedom”, “peace”, “cooperation among nations”, remembered through our cadets, the speeches of our distinguished unit commanders, the achievements of our doctors and teachers and mental and spiritual curiosity. The slogan “Pamtimo knjigom” (“Remembered through books”) for which we have opted for this year’s presentation, is imperative to what is happening today in the field of military publishing and our profession, Živković concluded, recalling that reading is the basis of knowledge, wisdom and power, and the company of books is the path to happiness.
The opening ceremony at the stand, located in the Hall 1 ring, started with the state anthem “Bože pravde” (“God of Justice”) performed by the Mixed Choir of the Ministry of Defense and the Serbian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense Art Ensemble “Stanislav Binički”, after which guests were greeted by the best-ranking cadet of the 140th class of the Military Academy, Second Lieutenant Stefan Milićević.
- Many books have passed through my hands – both good and bad, if a book can be called bad at all. And each of them has made an impression, each one teaching me something new and different. Books give a person what they need, books relax and heal. The book does not forget, and helps us not to forget – said Lieutenant Milićević.
In the cultural and artistic program, the Mixed Choir of the Ministry of Defense and Serbian Armed Forces performed the song “Vila sa Košara” (“Fairy from Košare”).
Public interest in the books of the Media Center “Odbrana” during 2019 confirmed the significant place and role of publishing activities of the Ministry of Defense, not only in the defense system, but also in the publishing world of Serbia. Under the slogan “Remembered through books”, the Ministry of Defense and the Serbian Armed Forces will, between 20 and 27 October, present military books, historical topics, journalism, geopolitics, military technology, military health care, art, as well as textbooks intended for the University of Defense.
PHOTOGALLERY
VIDEOGALLERY
mp4 