23.04.2014.

Reception of President of the Republic on the occasion of Armed Forces Day

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic prepared today, on the occasion of the Serbian Armed Forces Day, a formal reception at the Presidential Office Building which was attended by Defence Minister Nebojsa Rodic, Chief of General Staff General Ljubisa Dikovic, State Secretary, assistant ministers of defence, members of the Collegium, the most responsible officers and members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces.

Congratulating the holiday to the members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, President Nikolic pointed out that he belonged to the Serbian Armed Forces at present and said that he had always been proud to be included among those who wear the uniform of the country he was born in and live in.

- I know how many temptations you, contemporary officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers, faced and what your ancestors suffered, and I know that you put on the uniform because of your ancestors and that you wear it for your descendants - your ancestors gave you someone to look up to, while you want your descendants to remember you as honest, moral and conscientious people. These are characteristics of the Serbian non-commissioned officers, officers and generals – President Nikolic said, wishing the members of the defence system to be worthy of their ancestors who had worn the uniform with honour when deciding the fate of the country the Serbian people had been creating.

President of the Republic also expressed the hope that he would be able to assist members of the defence system financially and technically, but also belief that, in spite of that, they will perform their duties in the best possible way, both at home and abroad.

On the occasion of today's holiday, General Dikovic presented President Nikolic with a Gold Plaque of the Serbian Armed Forces on behalf of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, stressing that this is a new award, the first of its kind, and that the members of the defence system present it to the President of the Republic with a special honour.

At today's reception, representatives of the International Consulting Committee – Organization of Reserve and Retired Officers presented the "Order of the Knight" to President Nikolic on the occasion of the International Scientific Conference on the First World War.