14.06.2021.

Minister Stefanović attends apartment handover ceremony in Kraljevo: Keep fighting for Serbia the way you always have

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Nebojša Stefanović, PhD, attended today the ceremony of handing over the keys to the newly built apartments to members of the security forces in the suburban area of Kraljevo called Ribnica. Noting that today marked the 22nd anniversary of the Battle of Košare, Stefanović said that we should not only remember members of the security forces in difficult times, but we should always show our gratitude to them.

- Today is the 22nd anniversary of the Battle of Košare. It has been 22 years since the great battle, which should remain in our memory, and in which members of our armed forces fought heroically and showed how important military honour, sacrifice and love for the homeland are. That is still true today for members of our armed forces, the police, the Security Information Agency and other security services - Stefanović said.

They proudly wear their uniform and our national colours on it, he pointed out.

- I would like to remind the citizens of Serbia that these people stood with their country in difficult times, they risked, and many gave their lives for us to be free today. Led by the President of the Republic, Aleksandar Vučić, and thanks to the good economic policy that he, the Prime Minister and the Government of Serbia are pursuing, today we are able to show them our gratitude in this way - the Minister of Defence said.

Besides improving the standard of living, he said, providing housing is the crown of getting our military back on its feet.

- So that our service members can raise their children and grandchildren in these apartments and not worry about solving the housing problem, but focus on serving their country professionally. With the great support of President Vučić, we made sure that members of the armed forces receive a substantial salary increase this year, and I hope that we will soon be able to make them even happier. We want to show that taking caring of them is not an empty promise, and that we have not forgotten the people who were there in difficult times, just as they are with their people today - Stefanović said.

We must not only remember members of the security forces in difficult times, he added, but also in good times, and that is why the government continues to invest in improving their standard of living.

- Keep fighting for Serbia the way you always have. Let your children and grandchildren be born in these apartments. I hope they make your lives better, and we will try to do even more for you - Stefanović said, addressing the service members who are moving into new apartments.

The keys to the apartments in Radnički Bataljon Street in Kraljevo were handed over to members of the security forces by Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, who thanked them and their families for everything they did for our country and the citizens and for having chosen this difficult and challenging profession.

- I hope that you will enjoy these apartments and that your careers will progress, and I hope that, by pursuing a wise policy, we will protect the safety and security of each of our citizens, including you, and not put you on the front lines of any battles. On the other hand, I hope you will have the best possible salaries, so that you can afford new, bigger apartments, and not fear for the jobs and careers of your family members, and I hope that Serbia will continue to progress the way it has so far - Prime Minister Brnabić emphasized.

The apartment handover ceremony was also attended by the Minister of the Interior, Aleksandar Vulin, the director of the Security Information Agency, Bratislav Gašić, and the Mayor of Kraljevo, Predrag Terzić.

Minister Vulin emphasized that President Vučić was the first statesman in modern Serbia to start addressing this common problem in an organized way. Members of the security forces are always there for the citizens of Serbia in difficult time, he pointed out, and now is the time for Serbia to repay them for that.

According to the Mayor of Kraljevo, Terzić, today we have the opportunity to see two completed buildings with a total of 200 apartments and the city of Kraljevo is developing rapidly. He thanked President Vučić, the Prime Minister and all the ministers who, not only provided funds for members of the security forces to get roofs over their heads, but a completely new elementary school "St. Sava" will be built there, as well as a kindergarten.

Lieutenant Nada Bajić from the 210th Engineering Battalion, Second Army Brigade, Kraljevo, also received the keys to a new apartment today.

- It is a three-room, 66-square-metre apartment and I will live in it with my husband and my three-year-old daughter Nikolina. We have been renting a flat in Kraljevo since 2018 and in Novi Sad before that. I am glad that we have solved the housing issue in this way and that we will stay in this city - Lieutenant Nada Bajić emphasized.