ŠKRIVAN: SERBS CAN OVERCOME ALL OBSTACLES WHEN THEY ARE UNITED

TREBINJE, SEPTEMBER 15 /SRNA/ - Historian Dejan Škrivan told SRNA that marking Serbian Unity, Freedom and National Flag Day is very important for the Serb people in Republika Srpska, Serbia and the diaspora because it sends a message that Serbs can overcome all obstacles when they are united.

Škrivan said that this holiday sends a message that Serbs have their own national flag, the tricolour under which they all gather in both difficult and happy times.

"The fact that this flag bothers many people is best demonstrated by the attacks launched by parts of the international community in the first decade of the 21st century, when the flag and coat of arms of Republika Srpska were abolished by administrative decisions simply because they were identical to those of the Republic of Serbia. In this way, they wanted to artificially divide the Serb people," Škrivan said.

He said that the marking of such holidays proves that the efforts of certain parts of the international community that are not friends of the Serbs are futile, because the Serb people will find a way to remain together both today and in the future.

"The breakthrough of the Salonica Front proves that when Serbs are together, they can achieve anything, including defeating much stronger armies, as do all examples throughout history, showing that when we are united, we are much stronger and can overcome all obstacles more easily," Škrivan stressed.

Škrivan noted that it was no coincidence that September 15 was chosen as the date for marking this holiday.

"On this day, the breakthrough of the Salonica Front is commemorated. It was not only Serbs from Serbia who took part in it, but also Serbs from other Serbian lands, who, due to various circumstances, found themselves in a situation where they fought alongside our heroic army for the freedom of the homeland and created a state in which all Serbs were together," Škrivan said.

He stressed that the end of the First World War led to the creation of a state in which the largest number of Serbs finally attained the centuries-old freedom they had long awaited, and that this is why the day is appropriate for marking Serbian Unity Day.

Serbian Unity, Freedom and National Flag Day is a state holiday celebrated on September 15 in Serbia and Republika Srpska, and was symbolically established on the day commemorating the breakthrough of the Salonica Front.

It was established in 2020 with the aim of strengthening the unity of the Serb people in Serbia and Republika Srpska, as well as strengthening the cult of the national flag.