MACUT: SERBIA WILL REMAIN UNITED AND UNDIVIDED

NEVESINJE, JULY 6 /SRNA/ – Serbia’s Prime Minister Đuro Macut has stated today in Nevesinje that the Nevesinje Uprising represents the sacred commitment of Serbs to a life in freedom, emphasizing that Serbia will remain united and will continue to take care of Serbs, wherever they may live.

"To all those who rejoice in our divisions, I say - Serbia will remain united and undivided, and will continue to care for all our compatriots," Macut said during his address at the formal gathering marking the 150th anniversary of the Nevesinje Uprising.

Macut stressed that the strength of the Serb people must lie in their unity.

"This is the legacy of Saint Sava, as well as of the sacrifices made by the heroes from the Herzegovinian highlands. Glory to all the heroes of the 1875 Herzegovinian Uprising!" Macut said.

The Serbia’s Prime Minister pointed out that the Serb people have for centuries cried out for freedom, and that the Herzegovinian rebellion against the Ottomans attracted worldwide attention and sparked a series of uprisings among peoples across the Balkans, even in Russia against the Ottoman Empire.

"The Nevesinje Uprising and the 1878 Berlin Congress represent the starting and ending points of one of the most significant and turbulent periods in the history of the Serb people. It was a pivotal historical arc - from the uprising of a people to the recognition of their statehood at European level," stressed Macut.

However, Macut pointed out, instead of justice, the great powers prioritized their own interests, redrawing borders without understanding or respecting the just aspirations of the people living in the Balkans.

"Instead of peace, many of their decisions sparked new disagreements and heightened tensions among nations. Even today, when we observe similar geopolitical moves, we cannot help but feel that the world still hasn’t learned the lessons from that era - the lasting peace cannot be built without truth, justice, and respect for the suffering of numerically small but proud peoples, who won their freedom through sacrifice, not through others’ schemes," Macut said.

The formal academy was attended by His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia, Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, Serbian Presidential Advisor Miloš Vučević, Speakers of the National Assemblies of Republika Srpska and Montenegro Nenad Stevandić and Andrija Mandić, as well as Republika Srpska Prime Minister Radovan Višković.

Also present were mayors of East Herzegovina municipalities, along with numerous dignitaries and guests from the region.

Following the formal gathering, the central event continues at the Krekovi memorial site, where at 12:45 p.m. a memorial service will be held for the Herzegovinian rebels, followed by the laying of wreaths.

This important historical event is jointly organized by Republika Srpska and Serbia.

The First Nevesinje Uprising was an uprising that began in the village of Krekovi near Nevesinje on July 9, 1875, against Ottoman rule, and it soon spread throughout BiH, with support from Serbia and Montenegro.

Over time, it escalated into the Serb-Turkish War. At the Berlin Congress in 1878, Serbia and Montenegro gained independence and territorial expansion, while Austria-Hungary occupied BiH for 30 years.