Honorary Doctorate of the University of Defence Conferred to Minister Shoygu

Today, in the Guard Club in Topčider, a celebration took place at which honorary doctorate of the University of Defence in Belgrade was conferred to Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation Army General Sergey Shoygu. 

The honorary doctorate was conferred to Minister Shoygu by Vice-Chancellor of the University of Defence Lieutenant General Goran Radovanović PhD, in the presence of Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin, Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces General Milan Mojsilović and numerous guests. 
After the presentation of the honorary doctorate, addressing the gathered in the Guard Club, Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation Army General Sergey Shoygu firstly congratulated the Statehood Day to the citizens of Serbia and wished them happiness, wellbeing and success in the name of peace and prosperity of Serbia. Then he pointed out that he was greatly honoured by the honorary doctorate of one of the most renowned higher educational establishments of the Republic of Serbia.

As Minister Shoyhu underscored, today’s ceremony emphasised the high level of partnership between Serbia and Russia in the sphere of defence. The number of bilateral activities between the ministries of defence grows each year. He reminded that joint exercises of different types and military branches were held every year. He pointed out that cooperation in the field of training had been enhanced as well. Development of military cooperation - as he added - contributes to long-standing, deep ties and spiritual closeness of the two peoples.

As Minister Shoygu underlined, we had waged wars shoulder to shoulder over centuries against common enemy. We waged war together for the liberation of the Balkans and defended independence in the 20th century. Russia supported Serbia during NATO aggression in 1999 - Minister Shoygu said and reminded of the heroic jump of Russian airborne units in Priština for seizing control over Slatina airfield.

NATO aggression resulted in unilateral proclamation of independence of so called “Kosovo” - the Russian minister reminded - but it also led to grave consequences and victims among civilian population and devastation of infrastructure.
Today, Serbia builds new life, with the leadership of the country which in rather complex circumstances, leads an independent foreign policy, and which is on Russia’s side in the struggle against distortion of history. Minister Shoygu reminded that this is the year of the 75th anniversary of the end of the bloodiest war in human history. The joint fight against Hitler’s supporters became a significant phase in relations between our countries, so it is extremely important - as Minister Shoygu stressed - that Russian and Serbian soldiers march together in one formation on the Red Square during the Victory Parade on 9th May.

At the end of his address, Minister Shoygu expressed gratitude for the high evaluation of his efforts and for the presentation of the honorary doctorate of the University of Defence, adding that he would continue doing everything in his power with the aim of strengthening friendly ties between the peoples and armed forces of Russia and Serbia.

After ceremonial presentation of the honorary doctorate to General Shoygu, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vulin, pointed out that the value of a reward was measured by who was the one giving it and by the worth of the one receiving it.

- Today, Minister and Comrade General, we have given you an honour. You have become a doctor of an institution which encompasses the Military Academy which has been training Serbian officers to defend their country for 170 years. In this Academy, and this school, sons of peasants learnt to become generals, marshals, winners from the First and Second World War, fighting for the right for their Serbian people to survive the civilian war in the territory of former SFRY. Here, in this place, in this school, warriors, heroes, and glorious generals were taught and trained, the ones who decisively resisted NATO aggression, protecting our country and our right to exist. In this very place, in this school, they were taught that no matter how great and mighty the enemy is, you do not run and flinch from him, and they also learned that one must always and at any cost remain consistent to the memory of glorious ancestors - Minister Vulin stressed.
Minister Vulin reminded that Serbian sons were taught there to become soldiers, but their mothers also taught them, by their very birth, that freedom was above anything, and that it is worth living for and being born for, and that it is worth dying for.

- You have greatly honoured us, Minister, for a minister of defence of the Russian Federation, Army General, a hero of the Russian Federation is among ours and one of the doctors of science of this high institution. You have given us an honour to call you our own, and our cadets will one day speak about you as a man they learnt from, and a man from whom there is a lot to learn.

- You have honoured us, because together with the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Russian Federation President Putin, you managed, from a demoralised almost forgotten armed forces, which were barely capable of preserving its territory, to create armed forces which have no match in the world, the armed forces capable of protecting its people, wherever it is, the armed forces capable of protecting peace. The peace in which the Russian Federation lives, is not some result of a decision or mercy on the part of enemy; the peace in which you live is the result of powerful and mighty armed forces, capable of preserving the peace. There cannot be peace without armed forces capable of preserving it, reinforcing it - Minister Vulin stressed adding that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation were a strong military at the present, that paid attention to every single member, and which anywhere around the globe can act and protect and defend a friend and ally.
Everything that you have done - said Minister Vulin addressing General Shoygu - makes you more than worthy of this high recognition.
- General, when the Serbs tell you that you know everything about the military, that you know everything about the warfare, then be certain that they are right. There are few peoples in the world who can say that they waged wars so many times, and that they won the same number of times against all odds. When we say that we are proud of your every success, and that we experience it as though it is ours, then know that we are telling truth. Just like we experience your every wound and wound of your people as our own suffering and as our own pain. You are very welcome into the ranks of our Academy and University, and you are always welcome wherever there are the Serbs. Do not ever forget that we, the Serbs know very well the great truth that “in politics, there are no friends among great powers, but there are only interests”, and that is true for everyone except the one who has met our friend and brother, Minister of Defence Sergey Shoygu - Minister Vulin emphasised.

Explaining the decision of that higher educational institution, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Defence General Radovanović underlined that mindful of the fact that Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, Army General Sergey Shoygu, by providing support in the field of military education had given an exceptional contribution to development of military education of the Republic of Serbia, upon initiative of Minister of Defence of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vulin and his own proposal as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Defence, in his capacity of the highest expert body of that establishment, had passed decision to confer the recognition of honorary doctorate of the University of Defence in Belgrade to Army General Sergey Kuzhugetovich Shoygu.