31.05.2026.
Minister Gašić attends ceremony marking Ministry of Interior, Police Day
The President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces, Aleksandar Vučić, attended today’s central ceremony commemorating Ministry of the Interior Day and Police Day, held at the Palace of Serbia in New Belgrade.
The ceremony was attended by Minister of Defence Bratislav Gašić and Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, General Milan Mojsilović.Addressing the audience, President Aleksandar Vučić said that he wished, through his remarks, to express support to members of the Ministry of the Interior and the Police.
- Dear members of the Police and the Ministry of the Interior, you are certainly a pillar of the state. This has been the case from the time of Jakov Nenadović to the present day. In a regulation dating back more than 160 years, it is stated: “Police officers are obliged to be polite and accommodating to everyone, regardless of their status. They are to be protectors of innocence and rights, and strict enforcers only against those who violate the law.” I believe yours is one of the most difficult jobs. You have never indebted anyone, yet you are held responsible by all. Such jobs are the most difficult ones. You have chosen such a profession, but it is also the most honourable one. A profession for the brave, for the determined, for those who have no right to tears, but also for those who know that human lives depend on them - the President of Serbia underlined.He added that everyone expects assistance from the police, as they are always there to protect all citizens.
- The police are everywhere and at all times. They safeguard the highest values of our society, not only of the state. When we are fighting terrorism and in situations where there is a threat of terrorist acts, it is always police officers who are the first to risk their lives. That is why I would like to extend my gratitude to your families, your children, spouses, brothers and sisters, to all those who share this demanding profession with you, to all those who know that you don’t have working hours, that, even when you are at home, you can always receive a call to report for duty and take on a highly dangerous task – President Vučić stated.The President of Serbia noted that the work of a police officer is demanding and often thankless, and therefore expressed his full support to all members of the police force.
- I would also like to thank the veterans of the police for having always been in the service of the fatherland, but also for having been the first to fulfil, together with our soldiers, all the most sacred patriotic duties. When it was necessary to defend Kosovo and Metohija as part of Serbia, many members of the Ministry of the Interior and the Police lost their lives. They did not step aside or say, “That is not my job – my job is to ensure security on the streets of Belgrade, Novi Sad, or Niš.” On the contrary, they were among the first to go and defend the territorial integrity of our country. For this, I extend my deepest gratitude, and I express particular respect for the families of the fallen and wounded members of the Police and the Ministry of the Interior – the President of Serbia stated, adding that the state will continue investing in police equipment and special units, as well as in salary increases.Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dačić stated that today honours, with pride and respect, the courage, self-sacrifice, steadfastness, and dedication of all members of the Ministry of the Interior and the Police, who safeguard the peace and security of the country on a daily basis.
- I want to tell everyone that the uniform and the badge of the Ministry of the Interior, the badge of the Police, and the badge of the Republic of Serbia are sacred. No one has been, nor will ever be, stronger than the law and the state of Serbia. That is proof of our strength. Police work is not an ordinary job. We all know that very well. It should not and must not be viewed solely through the lens of administration or statistics. The police is not a building, not just paperwork. The police are, above all, people – Minister Dačić underlined.The ceremony was attended by Speaker of the National Assembly Ana Brnabić, Prime Minister Đuro Macut, government ministers, members of the collegiums of the Minister of Defence and the Chief of the General Staff, ministers of the interior and the police of the Republic of Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina, representatives of the police forces of Montenegro and Hungary, representatives of state institutions, the diplomatic corps, and religious communities.
During the ceremony, medals for courage, merit, and dedication to service were awarded to outstanding members of the Ministry of the Interior and the Police, and a display of police equipment and vehicles was held in front of the Palace of Serbia, open to all citizens.Ministry of the Interior Day and Police Day are observed in remembrance of the events of June 1862, when the Serbian gendarmerie played a key role in clashes with the Turks following the killing of a Serbian boy near the Čukur Fountain, as well as during the Ottoman bombardment of Belgrade.
