16.10.2014.
Presidents NIkolic and Putin paid respects to fallen soldiers
Immediately after the landing of the Russian plane at the Airport in Belgrade, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and his host President of Serbia Tomislav Nikolic headed to the Cemetery of the Belgrade Liberators, where they laid wreaths with state and military honors.
After the intonation of the anthems of the two friendly and allied countries, President Nikolc and Putin first paid their respects with a minute of silence to fighters of the National Liberation Army and the Red Army who were killed in battles for the freedom of the Serbian capital, and then laid wreaths at the Memorial to Liberators of Belgrade and the Monument to the Red Army Soldier.During the battles for the liberation of the Serbian capital, around 1400 fighters of NLA and 800 Red Army soldiers were killed; they were buried in the joint grave. The wreaths laid by President Tomislav Nikolic bore the inscription: “To brave Russian fellow-soldiers”.
“To this day, we firmly hold the flag of free Belgrade and Serbia that you erected on October 20, 1944” Nikolic wrote in the memorial book. The Russian President wrote: “We will always caringly preserve the memory of Soviet and Yugoslav warriors who gave their lives for peace in Europe; we remember all that, and the heroic deed that drew our mutual great victory closer. We bow down to their heroism and sacrifice.”
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