COMMEMORATION FOR VICTIMS OF THE NATO BOMBING

Belgrade, 24 March 2005 – HRH Crown Prince Alexander II accompanied by members of the Advisory Bodies of The Crown: Mr. Dragomir Acovic, academician Matija Beckovic, Prof. Dr Dragoljub Kavran, Prof. Dr Miroslav Gasic, and Mr. Djordje Djurisic, was present today at the memorial service in the Church of Saint Mark on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of the beginning of the NATO bombing of Serbia.

The memorial service in the Church of Saint Mark was performed by His Grace Jovan Bishop of Sumadia, delegate of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle, with the clergy.

It should be emphasized that HRH Crown Prince Alexander II was one of the first to most severely condemn the aggression towards our country, and from his London office, on 25 March 1999, released the following statement:

HRH CROWN PRINCE ALEXANDER’s STATEMENT
STOP THE BOMBING

I denounce in the strongest possible terms the aggression launched by NATO against our country last night. NATO states have attacked a small sovereign country without an authorisation by the United Nations. Leaders of that military alliance assert that the aim of war operations is to prevent a human catastrophe in Kosovo, yet it is quite possible, unfortunately, that their action will make the situation in Kosovo worse, provoke new conflicts in the Balkans and upset international relations in Europe. It is impossible to foresee all the consequences of this action.

Enormous damage has been caused to Serbia and Montenegro, and the first fatalities have occurred. Since NATO operations are continuing, more victims among the innocent civilian population are inevitable. Violence cannot be stopped by using even greater violence, and a solution to the Kosovo problem can be found only through direct negotiations between democratic representatives of the Serbs and Albanians. It is absurd for NATO to bomb Yugoslavia so that Kosovo can remain a part of Yugoslavia! It is also absurd for NATO to become an air force of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army! NATO actions lead inevitably to Kosovo`s independence, while NATO leaders claim that independence is not their aim!?

When in 1995 over a quarter of a million Serbs were driven from their homes in Croatia, when their houses were burned and destroyed and many civilians killed, NATO leaders did not speak of a humanitarian catastrophe. The Serbs have been ethnically cleansed from Western Bosnia, but who cares. In Serbia there are now over 600,000 Serbian refugees, but NATO could not care less about that. And what were the steps that NATO undertook in order to prevent that catastrophe? Any ethnic cleansing should be condemned and prevented.

I have always been a critic of the present regime in Belgrade since, I believe, it works against Serbian interests, but the nature of that regime should not be used as an excuse for NATO to wage a military campaign against Yugoslavia. The regime is one thing, the Serbian people another, and NATO is making a big mistake by conducting military operations against Yugoslavia. Serbia, Montenegro and the whole of the Balkans do not need bombs and killings, there has unfortunately been a surplus of that in the history of the Balkans, but they need peace, freedom, justice and democracy. Tolerance and mutual understanding can flourish only in conditions of peace, not war. For this reason, I appeal to all NATO states to stop immediately the bombing of Yugoslavia and I call on all interested parties to find a solution to the current crisis through negotiations – emphasized The Crown Prince in his statement from 25 March 1999.

Today also, six years after this tragic event from our recent history, HRH Crown Prince Alexander endeavors to do everything that is in his power to help the recovery our country, for the creation of a new and better future. The objective being to join the Euro-Atlantic integrations and developed democratic counties, where all its citizens would live in equality and harmony, regardless of their religious and ethnic origins.