Veljko Milutinovic: My father did not like praise, but he loved Serbia very much

A memorial service for the former President of Serbia, Milan Milutinovic, was held yesterday at the National Assembly House, and his son, Veljko Milutinovic, stated that his father had loved Serbia very much and had shared many joyful and sad moments with it over the decades.

First of all, he expressed gratitude to everyone who attended the memorial service.

"With words of gratitude, I would like to say a few words about my father, Milan Milutinovic, who unfortunately is no longer with us. This speech was his wish, and even a year or two before his death, he prepared an extensive biography for me so that I wouldn't make any mistakes. I listened to him regarding the speech, but not regarding the biography. His biography is well-known and can be found, in general terms, on the internet. Moreover, he was the one who taught me about truth-speaking, which means speaking about things we know personally, about things we can testify to, rather than things we heard or were told about," the son of the former Serbian President said.

He mentioned that he couldn't testify to what his father was like as a party comrade or leader, but he could speak about what he was like as a father and a person.

"Milan Milutinovic was not a person who liked praise, awards, and medals. Everything he did, he did out of conviction or because he believed it was necessary. He didn't expect fame or praise, although he gained them during his lifetime and retained them even after his death. What he loved was helping other people. He never turned his back on injustice and poverty, and in that sense, he was a true socialist," Veljko Milutinovic said.

As he added, his father loved Serbia very much and shared its joyful and sad moments over the decades.

"I remember how joyful he was when we won the basketball trophy in Athens. I believe there wasn't a happier person that night outside of the national team. There were too many sad moments to mention in this brief address," Milutinovic emphasized.

In addition to his love for Serbia, Milutinovic highlighted his father's love for family.

"He was a good and benevolent person. He had an unwavering and unbreakable will, which often brought us to the brink of madness. Nevertheless, we knew that he always did the best he could in any given situation. My father also loved Greece, where he served as an ambassador. With the late Konstantinos Mitsotakis, he worked on the revitalization of what we now know as Greek-Serbian friendship, even brotherhood. It is easily forgotten that in 1989, when he went to Athens as an ambassador, relations between Greece and the SFRY were not exactly warm for many reasons. When he broke the ice, love became mutual, and Greece loved him. The news of his death resonated almost immediately in the Greek media," Milutinovic said.

Recalling that they had been through a lot together, he also remembered the years his father spent in The Hague.

"The long years in The Hague, where he was sorely missed. In The Hague, he perhaps showed his firmness, perseverance, and unwaveringness the most. Overall, he made difficult things look almost easy, facing life with grace and dignity," Milutinovic said.

According to him, after stepping down from the presidency and especially after returning from The Hague, his father wasn't a very talkative person.

"My father had an iron curtain in his mind between the past and the future. He didn't want to seek revenge or pursue his own justice. He simply wasn't that kind of person, and I think that's what preserved him until old age. He particularly didn't believe in reviving certain stories from our recent history because he believed that it was better not to mention certain things for the benefit of the country and society. As a man who firmly lived in the present, he had a kind of curtain toward the future, too. He realized early on that the future is unpredictable and one should be prepared for anything. You never know where life may lead you, and he was always ready for unexpected changes, both in history and in personal life," Milutinovic said.

He added that his father had performed his duties calmly and with dignity, always striving to make moves that led to a better future, no matter how unusual they might seem to his surroundings.

"His statesmanship was reflected in making the right moves without excessive pomp. When he held power, he used it to help others, as many here can recall. Although he was always serious, he knew how to truly celebrate personal and national successes. He was strong, steadfast, unwavering, and yet gentle and caring, which I deeply loved about him. I will miss the time I spent with him, especially his sincere childlike smile," Milutinovic added.

He emphasized that there are no words that can compensate for the loss or alleviate the grief.