27.04.2026.
Reception for members of Serbian Armed Forces who served in peacekeeping mission in Lebanon
Today, the President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces, Aleksandar Vučić, hosted a reception at the Presidency building for members of the Serbian Armed Forces who, over the past eight months, were deployed as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon - UNIFIL.
Also in attendance at the reception were Minister of Defence Bratislav Gašić and the Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, General Milan Mojsilović.President Vučić noted that, in line with the UN decision, specifically the relevant resolution of the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, members of the Serbian Armed Forces participate in the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon – UNIFIL.
- Our men and women served in Sector West, where they worked alongside Italian units to provide facility security. The conditions are extremely challenging, especially since the onset of both declared and undeclared hostilities in the Middle East. These are exceptionally brave men and women, who upheld the cause of peace with great dignity, while also representing our country with honour. Whenever I spoke with Guido Crosetto, Giorgia Meloni, and others, they would always praise Serbian soldiers, their contribution to the UNIFIL mission, and even asked for a larger number of Serbian personnel within the contingent - President Vučić said.
He noted that the Republic of Serbia and the Serbian Armed Forces have always been ready to contribute to peace through UN missions.
- People should also know that these men and women have gained tremendous experience in extremely demanding, complex, and challenging conditions, experience they will now pass on to their colleagues. They were drawn from various units and are now returning to their parent units across our country, where they can pass on their knowledge, their experience, what they have seen and learned, at least the things their younger colleagues have not had the chance to experience themselves – said the President of the Republic.President Vučić stressed that taking part in missions like these requires real dedication, hard work, and commitment. He also noted that despite delays in reimbursements from the United Nations, Serbia continues to pay its deployed personnel regularly.
- What matters most is that we have shown once again how international law is upheld, how the international legal order is protected and defended, how peace is preserved, and how the lives of others are safeguarded in a highly professional and responsible way – said the President of Serbia, thanking members of the Serbian Armed Forces who safeguard peace in southern Lebanon and ensure access to humanitarian aid in the areas of conflict-affected areas.
President Vučić emphasized that the members of the Serbian Armed Forces who served in the mission are good, honest people, and a great treasure to the Republic of Serbia, as well as to our military which must continue to grow stronger and modernize, serving as a guarantor of the country’s survival, preservation, and peace within it. He also expressed his gratitude and wished good look to all those currently serving in Lebanon.- We always take care of our personnel and make decisions on any potential evacuation or redeployment together with representatives of other countries. They all know that Serbs are not cowards, and we will act professionally and responsibly, striving to protect the lives of our personnel – just as they are protecting the lives of civilians, which is why they are there, to implement a UN decision. Thank you for your courage, dedication, and hard work, thank you for enduring such a long period away from your families, and for never, not even for a moment, compromising the reputation of the Serbian soldier, the strength of the Serbian flag, or the honour of our country. That is something we greatly respect – the President of Serbia emphasized, expressing his hope that they would share their knowledge and experience with their colleagues.
At the conclusion of his address, President Vučić said he expects faster preparations and continued work on further modernizing the military, especially by forming battalions, brigades, companies, and platoons that would use unmanned weapons and systems, robots, drones, as well as artificial intelligence in our armed forces.
Captain 1st Class Đorđe Kričak, Force Protection Platoon Commander, presented the President of the Republic with a UN blue beret and a UNIFIL souvenir – a framed set featuring the Serbian and Lebanese flags, along with a cedar tree as a symbol of Lebanon.
Captain Kričak said that during their deployment in UNIFIL, the Force Protection Platoon had fully carried out all assigned tasks in line with UN standard operating procedures, and he thanked the President for receiving them.
- For us, this is the greatest honour in our military careers. While performing their duties, the platoon members represented the Serbian Armed Forces in the best possible way, and served as ambassadors of the Republic of Serbia. During their time away from their families, these men gave their maximum, carrying out tasks even in the most complex situations, for which they were commended on many occasions – said Captain Kričak.
The reception was also attended by the Commander of the Training Command, Brigadier General Dragiša Zlatković, the Chief of the Military Office of the President of the Republic, Brigadier General Predrag Kraljević, the Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence, Brigadier General Nikola Matović, and the Chief of the Peacekeeping Operations Centre, Colonel Mirjana Milenković.
