25.01.2010.

Day of Odbrana magazine marked

On the occasion of marking the Day of the publishing center Odbrana was held yesterday. The ceremony was attended by Minister Dragan Sutanovac, Deputy SAF CHOD LTG Mladen Cirkovic, high representatives of the Ministry of Defense and of the Chief of Staff of the Serbian army, honorary dignitaries and representatives of the cultural life of Serbia. This ceremony also marked 131st anniversary of military press.

In his congratulatory address Dragan Sutanovac stressed that the work on the reforms in MoD had immeasurable value, which can be seen in the fact that the Ministry of Defense has become the most respected and noteworthy state institution. This is a great success as he stated, concerning that the repute of SAF had been undermined in previous years.

We should also bear in mind that MoD is the least corrupted institution, reminding that the opinion of the public is directly linked to what Odbrana does. He mentioned that the Public Relations Department and the magazine strived to mould the public’s opinion in time, trying to explain to the readers what it was that MoD did.

We had no time to wait for problems to come our way but we should rather embrace them. The finalization of the professionalization process is the main SAF task as he stressed.

- We have all the preconditions, and in order to bring this task to a close, we have to continue communication with the media, doing our utmost to make this a positive campaign.

This year as the minister announced the Odbrana publishing center will host the international military journalists conference which bespeaks of our capability to organize big events and conferences.

- Odbrana should continue developing, neither this magazine can be strong without a strong army, nor can the army be strong without Odbrana magazine.

It is upon Odbrana to bring closer to the public all the positive events in the system of defense.

PRD Chief Navy Captain Petar Boskovic said that by placing information we inform the public of the MoD activities.

He announced that the Central Dome of SAF would also house the media center of Mod which will include both the publishing and press activities. A modern media room with a TV studio will be set up there.

- We are planning to redesign the website, and we hope to introduce a new video and TV formats. Direct download will enable citizens to be better informed, and we had some 2000000 hits last year.

In his words, the statistics show that there is a large interest in the events in MoD.

The Director of Odbrana magazine LTC Slavoljub Markovic reminded the present of a long and rich tradition of military journalism, and the efforts invested by Odbrana journalists on a daily basis to bring accurate, timely information. He said that this institution was ready to face any reforms that may come its way. Furthermore, he thanked the MoD management for all the support it provides to the magazine, as well as to all those contributing to the magazine.

”Ivan Markovic” award for the best media coverage of the defense system went to Goran Janicijevic for his story “ Army is back in fashion” which was aired on RTS 1 channel on 27 October, within Mreza production network. The panel of judges were Miroljub Radojkovic, professor at the Political Sciences Faculty, Zoran Baranac, executive editor of FOX TV, Helena Milosevic, with MoD PRD, and Colonel Zoran Puhac, in retirement, former military journalist and editor in Vojska magazine. The judges decision reads that this story truthfully describes the current moment when more and more youths opt for regular mandatory service rather than serving with the civil institutions. The award was presented by minister Sutanovac.

The most successful Odbrana magazine journalist for 2009 is Major Vladimir Pocuc .

The most successful athlete was senior sergeant Goran Cegar. This decision was supported by Nebojsa Ilic, coach of our rowing representation and member of the Olympic Committee of Serbia, multiple state champion and world university champion in 1983. MA Branko Boskovic, Colonel, deputy head of the Military Academy, former marathon runner and bearer of the first military athlete of the year, Colonel Zoran Scekic, Chief of the Physical Training section in the SAF GS Department of Training and Doctrine, and Radenko Mutavdzic, deputy editor-in-chief as well as one of the most experienced journalists of Odbrana Branko Kopunovic.

Goran Cegar won the marathon in Novi Sad last year, in a race though history, at the international Novi sad marathon and in semi-marathons in Novi sad and Zagreb.