Under the slogan Inspired by Freedom, Guided by Unity, and in the presence of officials from Srpska and Serbia, the traditional Days of Srpska in Serbia event opened last night at the Belgrade National Theatre. Until 25 September, the Republic of Srpska will present its culture, science, art, and economy in 14 cities across Serbia.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Srpska, Savo Minić, opened ceremonially the traditional Srpska Days in Serbia event last evening at the Belgrade National Theatre. Addressing numerous officials, Minić stated that the unity between Srpska and Serbia stood above all else and that efforts were underway on both sides of the Drina River to create better living conditions for every individual. – Our unity must not be, and is not, merely a word we use at ceremonial events. It is our strength in each day. In every project we launch together. In every bridge we build. In every young person we offer an opportunity. In every family for whom we create the conditions to stay and survive – said Minić. He added that Srpska and Serbia now had the strength to demonstrate their closeness through joint investments, infrastructure, and support for the economy, education, culture, and other sectors that improve the quality of life for our citizens and create new opportunities for development.

Mlađen Cicović, Head of the Republic of Srpska Representative Office in Serbia, stated that the Serbian people needed unity in the times of pressure on Serbia and the Republic of Srpska, noting that administrative borders must not be the borders of Serbian cooperation and spirituality. Speaking at the opening of the Days of Srpska in Serbia event at the Belgrade National Theatre, attended by officials from both Srpska and Serbia, Cicović said that the purpose of that event was for Serbs to gather around their language, script, culture, traditions, faith, and historical memory. – The point is for the Republic of Srpska to know it has Serbia, and for Serbia to know it has Srpska; for every one of our people, wherever they may live, to know they belong to a nation with its own name, history, culture, and future – Cicović stated.

Nenad Stevandić, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska, stated last evening in Belgrade at the opening ceremony of the Srpska Days in Serbia event that Serbs were unbreakable when united. – Serbia and the Republic of Srpska, two lungs sharing a single windpipe, breathing in unison the same problems and the same future, for the first time in our great, arduous, and bloody history are looking toward the future together, leaning on one another without fear of objection or anyone being able to spoil it for us – said Stevandić in his address at the National Theatre. He noted that the unity between Serbia and Srpska was not a spur-of-the-moment development; in striving for this unity, the Republic of Srpska wrote its history in blood and tempered it with tears, and today it stands as a partner upon whom Serbia can rely.

Speaking in Belgrade at the opening ceremony of the Days of Srpska in Serbia event, Vicar Bishop Ilarion, envoy of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, stated that the area inhabited by Serbs extended beyond territories defined by earthly borders and that they should not accept the borders or judgments of this world. Bishop Ilarion said that ‘a true Serb stands before the judgment of God, and any other judgment is of lesser significance.’ – The struggle waged for the Republic of Srpska is evident in the fact that our churches are full and that religious education is taught in the lands where Serbs live. May this serve as our guiding principle: whatever we do, let us do it in accordance with God’s commandments – Bishop Ilarion stated.

Conveying the greetings of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, the President’s envoy, Miloš Vučević, said that Serbia had always been a state of the people at its core, and noted the importance of Serbian unity and togetherness in difficult times.

The ceremony at the Belgrade National Theatre was also attended by envoy of the President of the Republic of Srpska Marko Romić, ministers from the governments of Srpska and Serbia, and Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Staša Košarac. Attendees included representatives of the Provincial Government of Vojvodina, parliaments of Srpska and Serbia, the military and police, diplomatic corps, as well as academicians, prominent artists, businesspersons, and other guests.

Source: RTRS

Photo: Ministry of European Integration and International Cooperation