Minister without portfolio in charge of coordinating activities and measures in the field of relations between the Republic of Serbia and the diaspora, Đorđe Milićević, opened the 39th Festival of Cultural and Artistic Creativity of Serbs in Austria held in Hallmann Dome in Vienna, organized by the Austrian Association of Serbian Folklore (ASSF), with several hundred young people from 13 ensembles from all over Austria participating.

Milićević said that the Serbian people were known for their exceptional cultural heritage passed down from generation to generation, with our language, music and tradition being a part of the identity that we nurtured with pride. He added that being a Serb meant preserving and nurturing that heritage, but also spreading it around the world, and noted that the Serbian Government strongly supported our diaspora.

We are here to support you in preserving your identity around the world, but also to create better conditions in the motherland for your return and that of your families, said the Minister.

He recalled that our country and our people were under most severe pressure these days and stated that the attack was particularly strong on our people in Kosovo and Metohija and Republic of Srpska.

Milićević added that he knew defense from all pressures would be difficult, but that he was convinced that we would fight with all political and diplomatic means led by President Aleksandar Vučić and that we would win that battle.

He conveyed President Vučić’s appeal to all Serbs, wherever they live, ‘in spite of those declaring us a genocidal people, to put up our national symbols, our most beautiful tricolor, and to show them they will never be able to topple Serbian people, no matter how hard they try.’ The Minister conveyed the President’s message that the flag of Serbia would become a symbol of resistance of all the libertarian peoples of the world and added that for that reason our tricolor should fly in the heart of Austria and Vienna should resound with our song and dance.

ASSF president Aleksandar Stanković expressed his gratitude to the Minister for the support for this event, which is of great importance for preserving the identity of Serbs in Austria, and was attended also by the Serbian ambassador to the OSCE Žarko Obradović, Serbian consul in Vienna Milica Vučković and president of the Association of Serbian Diaspora Folklore Nenad Milenković.

Source: Government of the Republic of Serbia

Photo: Đorđe Milićević