09.10.2009.

Commemorating 75 years of King Aleksandar's death

As part of the marking the 75th anniversary of the death of King Alexander today at the church of St. George in Topola on Oplenac the Serbian President Boris Tadi?, Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac, members of the diplomatic, military and diplomatic corps in Serbia, as well as family members of the Karadjordjevic family laid commemorative wreaths.

The Chief of SAF General Staff Lt. Gen. Miloje Miletic and Guard Commander Brigadier General Goran Radovanovic accompanied the Minister of Defense.

Upon the completion of the ceremony of laying the wreaths, Sutanovac visited the house of King Peter the First in Oplenac where he opened the exhibition "The road of King Alexander as a warrior and a statesman," which was jointly organized by the Military Museum in Belgrade and the Foundation of King Peter the First in Topola.

On that occasion, Sutanovac recalled the historic role of King Alexander Karadjordjevic, especially in its statesmen and diplomatic merits in terms of integration in this part of Europe. The Minister pointed out that modern day Serbia was making everyday efforts to becoming involved in all the relevant political, economic, defense, educational and cultural processes of international organizations. This, as Sutanovac said, enables Serbia to keep the continuity of its foreign policy and reclaim its rightful position in the family of equal European nations.

The Minister stressed that the by cooperation and participation in the contemporary international scene we can realize the principles of our national policy and development strategy of Serbia, while also preserving its territorial integrity and enhancing state capacity and democracy.

"Gathered around clearly defined priorities with a rich and varied heritage, we can achieve goals that set in the previous period by the Serbian rulers, who saw his country as a land of freedom, progress, unity and understanding," said Minister of Defense.

The exhibition presents personal belongings of King Alexander, paintings from the family collections, photographs and documents that testify to the life and tragic death of King Alexander Karadjordjevic. The visitors’ attention was especially attracted by the uniform of the king he was wearing on the day of the assassination.