Selakovic: Again, the Serbs are defending the right to a peaceful life; negotiations are always better than war

The Minister of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Policy of Serbia, Nikola Selakovic, said today that the Serbs had to once again defend their right to live peacefully in their country, and assessed that the Serbs in Kosovo were facing terror and emphasized that it was better to negotiate for 100 years than one day to war, RTV reports.

At the ceremonial opening of the 30th General Assembly of the World Veterans Federation in Belgrade, under the auspices of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, Selakovic said that the Serbs and Serbia knew what it meant to fight for the freedom of the homeland and that in great wars they had chosen the right side and paid the highest price for peace and freedom.

He mentioned several great nations that drew strength not only from victories but also from great defeats, which for the Serbs was the battle of Kosovo.

Selakovic emphasized that it was a wise policy of the state leadership and President Aleksandar Vucic to protect the peace, stability, honor, and dignity of the state and people in every place politically and diplomatically, but also to show that Serbia knew how to defend its own.

Selakovic said that Serbia was strong, as strong as its economy and army were, and that it would not give its own, that did not want what belonged to others, and that it was ready to defend freedom and peace.

He emphasized the importance of the veteran slogan that no one could speak more eloquently about peace than fighters in the war.

He assessed that the holding of the international gathering of veterans was a symbol of the unification of goals, the most important of which were peace and freedom, and that it was positive news on a global scale, and Belgrade as the host was the center of the world.

Reminding that SUBNOR of Serbia and Belgrade are the hosts of this gathering for the second time after 70 years, Selakovic assessed that this was recognition of Serbia, which keept its doors open to everyone.

He emphasized that Serbia's foreign policy and military neutrality, as well as advocacy for peace and stability, were thus highly valued by the entire freedom-loving world.

"I am deeply convinced that even though we come from different parts of the world, different nations, religions, languages, and cultures, we are the same in our love for our homeland, and we have the same goal of preserving peace and defending freedom," he said, according to Tanjug.

Selaković stated that the horrors of war would be easier to avoid if the words of veterans, who had survived them, had been listened to more.

He pointed out that Serbia was increasing the funds in the budget for the protection of military invalids and combatants, because of their rights, and recognition and in order to repay them, and announced that improvements in that area would be continued and that several levels of government would act together.

As for the value of the international gathering of veterans, he highlighted the opportunity to appreciate and understand differences, because those who thought differently met and did not clash, but talked.

The President of the World Veterans Federation, Dan-Viggo Bergtun, thanked Belgrade, Serbia, and SUBNOR for their commitment to dealing with the issue of veterans not only in Serbia but also in the Balkans, Europe, and the world.

He assessed that it was important for veterans to be able to respectfully exchange opinions despite different attitudes at a time of heightened polarization and to discuss how to deal with differences.

The President of SUBNOR Vidosav Kovacevic in his welcoming speech pointed out that the Serbs had suffered heavily in both world wars and other, mainly liberation and defensive, wars, but in the end, they had stood in the line of victors and had been on the right side of history.