President Stevandić attended the central event on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia

The President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska, Dr Nenad Stevandić, attended today in Prokuplje, the state event commemorating the Day of Remembrance for those killed in NATO aggression, on the occasion of 25 years since the beginning of the bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia /FRY/.

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, recalled that it was in Prokuplje that the first victim of the NATO bombing, soldier Boban Nedeljković, fell 25 years ago and that his father, even when the most terrible thing happened to him, failed to answer the question of what was more important to him, his son or fatherland.

"We will never join NATO; we will preserve and protect our military neutrality." You have punished Srbia with everything, but you cannot take away our right to live for our country. There is a Serbia in front of you that will know how to protect itself and defend itself. I hope that we will see each other on much better occasions, and we will not give Serbia to them. Long live Serbia", said President Vučić.

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije said that the innocent blood that fell all over the country at that time became the pledge of Serbian hope and the seed of salvation.

"On this vow day for the Serbian, St. Sava people, we gathered to pray to God to witness our commitment to be on the side of peace, not war, as well as on the side of the righteous and innocent, not criminals," Patriarch Porfirije said.

The President of the Republic of Srpska Milorad Dodik pointed out that Serbs gathered tonight in Prokuplje to commemorate a terrible day in their history - when 25 years ago the first bombs fell that resonated in the hearts of Serbs all over the world.

He recalled that in recent days, one of the high-ranking American officials said that they had to bomb Serbia because they wanted to use violence.

"And, their bombs were “merciful angels”, said Dodik.

He emphasized that he is proud of Serbia, which has risen and built itself.

"I am proud of Serbia, which is here to say that we have continued to live, that Serbia has built itself up in the last 12 years under the leadership of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, to the extent that today it is a stable and safe country for all its citizens," said Dodik.

Anđelka Tošović, the sister of the youngest victim of the bombing, the eleven-month-old girl Bojana Tošović, said that time passes, but that the wounds on the soul do not heal. Anđelka was born during the bombing, and she lost her sister and father in the NATO aggression.

"It's been 25 years since my father and my sister were taken by birds and they left this world. I have not met them. I was in my mother's womb that sad evening on April 11, 1999. It was Holy Saturday. My family was preparing for our big holiday, Easter. It was supposed to be their first holiday together. But no one had any idea that it would be the last and that every next one would have a lump in my mother's throat and tears on her face. It is the same now, after 25 years. Time passes, but the wounds on the soul do not heal," said Anđelka.

 The gathering in Prokuplje began with a commemoration for all the victims, led by Patriarch Porfirije, with the concurrence of bishops and clergy of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

 The NATO bombing of the FRY began on March 24, 1999 at 7:55 p.m., and the first rockets fell on the barracks in Prokuplje, when the first soldier, Boban Nedeljković, was killed. That same evening, cruise missiles hit the underground bunker in Kuršumlija, and 11 soldiers lost their lives.