16.12.2025.
New Year and Christmas reception hosted by Minister of Defence and Chief of General Staff
This evening, Minister of Defence Bratislav Gašić and the Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, General Milan Mojsilović, hosted a New Year and Christmas reception at the Guard Club in Topčider.
The formal reception was attended by Serbian government ministers, representatives from state institutions, members of the Defence Minister’s and the Chief of the General Staff’s collegiums, representatives of religious communities, diplomatic and military-diplomatic corps, and numerous public figures.In his opening remarks, Minister Gašić emphasized that the trust citizens place in their military represents a great honour, but also a great responsibility. He added that the admiration and love the Serbian people feel for their military are a reflection of a covenantal bond forged over centuries through historical trials.
- Our national rights and freedoms were won through bitter struggle and enormous sacrifice. Each new generation, including the one now serving in the ranks of the Serbian Armed Forces, is charged with the duty to defend these sacred values with dignity and without compromise. The people’s belief that their military will be able to address any threat, as well as their faith in the integrity of all who wear its insignia, are gifts worth living and dying for. To prove ourselves worthy of these gifts and to justify the trust placed in us, we have worked with dedication and diligence over the past year. A part of that effort is presented in the film we have just seen, which offers a brief overview of everything that members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces have done in 2025 to make our country stronger and safer – the Minister of Defence emphasized.
He said that the development of defence capabilities of the Republic of Serbia had been a key task, serving as a benchmark against which all successes and shortcomings had been assessed.- You, dear friends, and all citizens of this country, have the right to judge the progress of the Serbian Armed Forces over the past year and over the past decade. The vision advocated for many years by the then Minister of Defence, and now the President of the Republic, Aleksandar Vučić, has been implemented step by step, in a planned and systematic manner. In essence, this vision was about changing the attitude towards armed forces and their personnel. The idea was to restore and elevate the military that had, up to that point, been financially neglected, technologically outdated, and marginalized, to a level worthy of its tradition and historical role, while bringing the working conditions, status, and standards of its personnel back to dignified levels. We set out on this path in 2012, and now, thirteen years later, we are reaping the fruits of our persistent efforts – Minister Gašić said.
Minister Gašić emphasized that the policy of military neutrality had created space for cooperation with all partner states and military-political alliances, in line with Serbia’s own national interests.
- We exchange knowledge and experience with everyone who has shown goodwill and constructive attitude towards the Republic of Serbia, and we acquire modern weapons and equipment from both East and West – unencumbered by the need to explain or justify our choices to anyone other than our own citizens. None of this would be possible without economic growth and stable public finances, which have allowed the defence budget to reach the long-sought level of 2.4 percent of GDP. By allocating and spending these resources responsibly and wisely, we have ensured that every dinar of public funds brings maximum benefit. The results of these efforts were evident during the Power of Unity military parade, which showed to both domestic and international audiences what proud, modern and capable armed forces look like. The reactions to the event made it clear who truly wishes well for our country and people, and who does not – Minister Gašić said, describing all those messages, even the negative ones, as an additional confirmation that the work done to modernize and strengthen the Serbian Armed Forces had been excellent.Addressing numerous guests, he said that the good news for all our friends and partners is that the country will continue in the same direction, with the same determination, and that we will grow even stronger and better prepared to safeguard the freedom, independence, and territorial integrity of our homeland.
- At the heart of every progress of our country and our people is unity, the willingness to find common ground and come together around our most important national and state interests. One of these fundamental common interests, regardless of ideological or political differences, is a strong defence system. In a region of great geopolitical importance such as the Balkans, security and survival are guaranteed only by a powerful armed force, before which politics and diplomacy speak in a calm and reasoned voice. Therefore, matters such as strengthening and modernizing the Serbian Armed Forces, or reinstating compulsory military service, should be subjects of informed and constructive exchange of views only. Strong Serbian Armed Forces are a guarantee not only of the security of Serbia and the Serbian people, but also of peace in this part of Europe – Minister Gašić emphasized.According to him, we are entering 2026 confident that, with the full support of the state leadership, efforts to strengthen the defence system will continue, and no milestone along the way will be final, since building defence capabilities is an ongoing, continuous process.
- I would like to express my gratitude to all members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces for their patriotism, responsibility, and dedication. My sincere thanks also go to the state bodies, institutions, and individuals who have understood and supported us in our mission. The peace we enjoy today is the result of our shared effort and responsibility. May the New Year bring you good health, prosperity, and every success – said the Minister of Defence.During the reception, a film produced by the Public Relations Department, presenting the most significant achievements of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces in 2025, was shown. The event was graced by a performance from “Stanislav Binički”, the Art Ensemble of the Ministry of Defence.
