01.06.2015.
President Nikolic visiting the Land Security Zone
Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and Chief of General Staff General Ljubisa Dikovic, accompanied by Commander of the Ground Forces Lieutenant General Milosav Simovic, visited today South Base and the object Sevadske livade in the Ground Safety Zone, in the Area of Responsibility of the Fourth Army Brigade.
President Nikolic and General Dikovic were informed about the current security situation, and the conditions and the ways in which the SAF members live and work in the bases in the Ground Safety Zone. They also attended the display exercise of engagement of intervention forces on Sevadske livade.After visiting the bases, President Nikolic stated that it was important, even in peacetime, for a soldier to be aware that any moment shots could be fired.
- Since we are dealing with terrorism, which has already poured from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija into Macedonia, and since we know what the plans of such politics are, we have made it very clear to the members of the Army and the Gendarmerie that they are in peace, but that they should act as if they were at war, because there can never be too much security and training, discipline and cooperation – President Nikolic stressed.
According to him, the advantage of Serbia in relation to the outpour was the GSZ, through which armed groups could not pass, and the fact that in the past decades we had learned to be alert, and to cooperate with the entire world.
- This security is also achievable through the cooperation with KFOR and international forces, to which we always say that their number must not be reduced, because everything could once again turn into a powder keg – Serbia President stressed.
He also conveyed his pleasure with what he had seen at the Ground Safety Zone and congratulated everyone that had organized the life of the soldiers in it and the way they secured the peace of the citizens of Serbia, aware of all the risks in which they worked.
- This here is Serbia that could live much more peacefully, if there were no outside challenges; however, Serbia has once again proved to be a state that favours peace over anything else and that will do everything for peace never to be disturbed again – President Nikolic stated, adding that Serbia was prepared to react to every security challenge.
Stating that the current state at the GSZ was stable and that the Serbian Armed Forces constantly monitored the complex security situation in the area, Commander of the Fourth Army Brigade Brigadier General Zoran Lubura reminded that the main task of the Fourth Army Brigade was to secure the administrative line with Kosovo and Metohija and to control GSZ.- In the execution of the rather complex task, we have extraordinary cooperation with the forces of the Ministry of Interior, security services, Coordination Body for the south of Serbia and KFOR forces. Members of the brigade have remarkably great cooperation with local residents – General Lubura stressed, adding that the Serbian Armed Forces had enough troops and was ready to react to every security threat and risk.
As Corporal Milos Mickovic, who is deployed in Sevadske livade stated, the soldiers were honoured to have been visited by President Nikolic and General Dikovic, and for the opportunity to display their training and readiness to conduct tasks in this Ground Safety Zone.
The Ground Safety Zone (GSZ) spreads along the administrative line of the Republic of Serbia and the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija (KiM), with total 382 kilometers in length and 5 kilometers in width.
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