15.09.2025.
Minister Gašić attends ceremony marking Day of Serbian Unity, Freedom, and National Flag
Minister of Defence Bratislav Gašić attended today a formal ceremony marking the Day of Serbian Unity, Freedom, and the National Flag, held in Gadžin Han.
The ceremony was attended by the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Ana Brnabić, representatives of the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia, government ministers of the Republic of Serbia, Republika Srpska, and North Macedonia, members of the collegia of the Minister of Defence and the Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, representatives of state administration and local government bodies, members of associations dedicated to fostering the traditions of the liberation wars of Serbia, along with numerous citizens.Miloš Vučević, as an envoy of the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and his advisor, extended holiday greetings, emphasizing that today in Gadžin Han, we honour the likes of “Dragutin”, individuals who did not seek to shape society to serve themselves, but who devoted themselves to society.
- It is thanks to the sacrifice they made for something that cannot be measured or explained, something we call the homeland, that we exist today. But that existence is neither guaranteed, nor inevitable. On the contrary, it can only be preserved through commitment and faith in what is perhaps the greatest creation of the Serbian people – the Serbian state. According to him, today, more than ever, we need wisdom and unity to preserve what we call the state, a legacy bequeathed to us by our ancestors, the Nemanjić dynasty, and the generations before them.
- To build, not destroy, to talk to each other and show mutual respect, to unite our efforts for the good of the homeland, not in uniformity of thought, but with a shared purpose – to preserve, advance, build, and strengthen Serbia. To listen, to forgive, and to move forward in peace and with wisdom. In doing so, we will prove ourselves worthy of our ancestors, who sacrificed their lives for us and for our future, said the envoy of the President of the Republic.His Eminence Archbishop and Metropolitan of Niš Arsenije said that Gadžin Han is a small town located in the very heart of the Zaplanje region, an area that produced a large number of soldiers of the famous Iron Regiment. According to him, it is no coincidence that this year’s celebration of the Day of Serbian Unity, Freedom, and the National Flag is being held in a place from which heroes emerged, whose sacrifice is inscribed in the most glorious pages of our history and in God’s memory books.
- That is why we gather today, in this very square, in front of the monument to one of those heroes – Dragutin Matić, known as the “Falcon Eye” from Kaletinac, to honour with the deepest reverence and remember not only his sacrifice, but the sacrifice of an entire generation – said Archbishop Arsenije, adding that Dragutin’s unforgettable gaze has become a symbol of the future and strength of the Serbian soldier, a gaze that is directed at the enemy and one that reminds us of the great sacrifice of our ancestors, upon which the foundations of today’s freedom of the Serbian people rest.The Minister of Labour, War Veterans and Disabled Persons' Protection of Republika Srpska, Danijel Egić, addressed the audience, emphasizing that this holiday represents a cornerstone of national identity, a day jointly and proudly celebrated by both Republika Srpska and the Republic of Serbia. This occasion, he added, serves as a reminder, a source of inspiration, and a call for awareness of the importance of unity and freedom. Egić also noted that, during the recently held All-Serbian Assembly, the governments of Republika Srpska and the Republic of Serbia adopted a Declaration that formally established this date as an official holiday.
- The purpose of establishing this holiday was to strengthen the unity between the Serbian people in Serbia and Srpska. The Day of Serbian Unity, Freedom, and the National Flag is a holiday that reminds us that we are one people, no matter where we live, and that our strength lies in our unity – Minister Egić emphasized.The Day of Serbian Unity, Freedom, and the National Flag is celebrated on September 15, a date chosen symbolically, marking the breakthrough of the Salonika Front in 1918, when the Serbian army, in World War I, triumphantly launched its final campaign to liberate its occupied homeland.
