20.10.2011.

Marking the liberation of Belgrade

Serbian President Boris Tadic, on the occasion of 67th anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade in World War II, laid a wreath at the Monument to the Liberators of Belgrade.

Serbian President laid a wreath in a ceremony of honorary alignment of guards and in the presence of Mayor of Belgrade Dragan Djilas.

President Tadic on this occasion wrote into the memorial book at the Memorial Cemetery of the Liberators of Belgrade,: "May glory be to the heroes and liberators of Belgrade and to those whose lives ended so that we can start to live. Glory to all who have made the ground of anti-fascism of Serbia".

Wreaths at the Monument to the Liberators of Belgrade and Monument to the Red Army were laid by delegations of the Ministry of Defense and the Army of Serbia, headed by Chief of SAF GS General Miloje Miletic. The delegation consisted of the Commander of the Training Command Lt. Gen. Aleksandar Zivkovic and Deputy Commander of the Air Force Brigadier General Sreto Malinovic.

"Members of the Serbian Army are proud to preserve the memory of all fighters, liberators of Belgrade. Your heroic deeds are our eternal inspiration "- as general Miletic wrote into the memorial book.

The homage to WWII liberators of Belgrade was paid by the delegations of Belgrade, SUBNOR, Embassies of the Russia Federation, Ukraine, Belarus, Azerbaijan and the families of fallen liberators of Belgrade.

The delegation of the Ministry of Defense and the Army of Serbia, headed by State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Igor Jovicic, laid a wreath near the Monument to Soviet veterans who died on Avala.

After several days of heavy and bloody fighting members of the National Liberation Army of Yugoslavia with the support of Soviet forces helped the Allies to liberate Belgrade on 20th October 1944, the capital of Serbia and thereby end the four-year occupation of Belgrade during which a number of Belgrade citizens perished, while the city had suffered large-scale devastation.