Statehood Day marked in Serbia

Statehood Day marked in Serbia

BELGRADE -- Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic decorated a large number of domestic and foreign individuals and institutions on the occasion of Serbia's Statehood Day.

In his address, Nikolic said that "behind every success, there is hard work, and Statehood Day is an opportunity to decorate the most valiant and successful persons, thereby sending a message to everyone else that success will be noticed and appreciated."

"I do not want to hold back the words of praise for those who give their best. I am looking forward to an increasing number of them every year, because the number of decorations indicates that as a society in the community of nations we are becoming more and more successful," Nikolic underlined.

Based on a decree signed by the Serbian president on February 5, Smilja Avramov, PhD, professor at the Belgrade University Faculty of Law, and Nada Milic, from Kosovo and Metohija, who lost her entire family during the 1999 NATO bombing campaign against Serbia, were presented with the Order of Sretenje, First Class, for their significant contributions to the Republic of Serbia and its people.

Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, Gen. Ljubisa Dikovic, was awarded the Order of the White Eagle with Swords, First Class, for his outstanding contributions to the country's defense system and command and control of military units.

Noam Chomsky, PhD, a well-known linguist, philosopher and political commentator from the United States, was awarded the Order of Sretenje, Second Class, and Ivan Klajn, PhD, a linguist and regular member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and Miomir Korac, PhD, director of the Archaeological Institute of the Serbian Academy of...