Vulin: Great War - fight for freedom and survival of Serbs

CORFU - Serbian Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran Care and Social Affairs Aleksandar Vulin stated at Corfu on Wednesday that World War I was a fight for freedom and survival of Serbs, adding that an equation mark can never be put between the aggressors and those who simply defended themselves.

On behalf of the Serbian government, Vulin is heading the commemorative events at Greek islands of Vido and Corfu to honour around 250,000 civilians and members of the Serbian army killed during the Great War.

In addition to officials from Serbia and Greece, the commemoration ceremony was attended by several hundred citizens from both countries.

Serbs cherish the memory of World War I as a fight for freedom, survival and the right for Serbs to exist, use their language and live their life the way they want to, Vulin said.

Austrian and German destroyers who sank ships transporting wounded Serb troops just a few metres away from where we are standing today cannot be regarded in the same way as Greek peasants who took the wounded soldiers in, rescued them and shared with them all that they had, Vulin said after the wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial-ossuary in the Vido mausoleum.

Laurel wreaths were laid at the memorial-ossuary by Serbian Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic, Greek officials, mayor of Corfu, deputy minister of the Ionian region in Greece and representatives of several Serbian associations for cherishing the traditions of Serbia's liberation wars.

Vulin and Gasic laid wreaths at the Navy Cross and Blue Sea Tomb and visited the Serbian Museum at Corfu honouring the suffering of the Serbian army during the retreat across Albania in World War I.

On Thursday, the ministers will lay...