The President of the National Assembly of the Republic Srpska, Dr. Nenad Stevandic, attended today at the “Kozara” barracks in Banja Luka the central ceremony marking the Day of the Army of the Republic of Srpska and the Third Infantry Regiment of the Armed Forces of BiH.
The commemoration was also attended by: President of the Republic Srpska Milorad Dodik, Serbian member and Chairperson of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zeljka Cvijanovic, Deputy Minister of Defense in the Council of Ministers Aleksandar Goganovic, Chief of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina General Gojko Knezevic and Commander of the Third Infantry Regiment of the Republic Srpska Brigadier Goran Maksimovic, retired generals and officers of the Army of the Republic of Srpska, representatives of associations originating from the Patriotic War, and persons from the public, political and social life of Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Before the start of the central ceremony, a memorial service was held for the fallen soldiers and civilian victims of the Patriotic War, and afterwards, wreaths were laid in the Central Memorial Room of the Army of the Republic of Srpska.
On behalf of the institutions of Republic of Srpska, the wreath was laid by the President of Republic Srpska, Milorad Dodik, accompanied by the President of the National Assembly Nenad Stevandic, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Srpska, Radovan Viskovic, the Serb member and chair of the Presidency of BiH, Zeljka Cvijanovic, and ministers in the Government of the Republic of Srpska.
A delegation from the Ministry of Defense and the Serbian Army, led by the relevant minister, Bratislav Gasic, also laid a wreath.
Delegations of the Third Infantry Regiment of the Republic of Srpska, representatives in the Republic's institutions, Serb representatives in institutions at the level of BiH, organizations and associations originating from the Patriotic War, and retired officers and generals of the Army of the Republic of Srpska laid flowers.
After the report was presented, the Serbian member and Chairperson of the Presidency of BiH, Zeljka Cvijanovic, accompanied by the Chief of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of BiH, Gojko Knezevic, and the Commander of the Third Infantry Regiment of the Republic Srpska, Goran Maksimovic, conducted a review of the units.
Commander Maksimovic said that in the past war, the VRS defended the territory of the Republic of Srpska and the Serbian people, for which more than 35,000 soldiers and civilians gave their lives.
"The Army of the Republic of Srpska is the army of the people. It was united, it was dominated by complete patriotism, Serbian identity, and great morality," said Maksimovic.
He added that the Third Infantry Regiment of the Republic of Srpska is successfully inheriting the tradition of the VRS.
"We do not have the right to forget, we have the right to defend ourselves and survive," said Maksimovic.
Serbian member and Chairperson of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zeljka Cvijanovic stressed that history teaches us that unity was and remains the strongest guarantee of our survival, and that is precisely why they are trying in every way to divide and quarrel us.
“We must resist this in order to defend the Republic of Srpska today in peace, through political means,” said Cvijanovic.
She emphasized that the Army of the Republic of Srpska was created as a people’s army, composed of ordinary and honest people who, while defending the Republic of Srpska's borders, simultaneously defended their homes, families, and communities.
“They wanted to live in peace and freedom, which they tried to take away from us on the ruins of the former state, but they failed to do so precisely thanks to the heroic struggle of the best sons of the Republic of Srpska,” said Cvijanovic.
The President of the Republic Srpska, Milorad Dodik, said that the Army of the Republic Srpska was honorable and people's, and that the Third Republic Srpska Regiment of the Armed Forces not only inherits its tradition, but also must listen to the calls that the Republic Srpska and the people would ever make.
Dodik emphasized that the Army of the Republic of Srpska, created 33 years ago, acted unitedly to defend the population, language, and culture.
"There is no force that could question our memory for any great idea. Our and people's army was not formed to fight for ammunition and territory, but for homes and families," Dodik emphasized.
The Army of the Republic of Srpska was formed on May 12, 1992, and at the end of the Patriotic War, it had 210,000 fighters. According to the Republic Center for War Research, War Crimes and the Search for Missing Persons, 23,659 soldiers died.
After 14 years of existence, it became part of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the Third Infantry Regiment of the Republic of Srpska cherishes its military heritage and identity.
