Serbian President Boris Tadic said that Serbia will keep fighting all forms of organised crime with even more resolve.

At the celebration of the Day of the Counter-Terrorist Unit (PTJ), Tadic stressed that significant achievements have been made over the last several years, but added that “we still have a lot of work to do.”

He underlined that Serbia has made huge progress to strike a heavy blow to organised crime.

I believe we did this in the best possible way by striking organised crime on all key points in the society, the President observed.

This was achieved by all security structures in Serbia, in cooperation with international institutions.

Tadic stressed that all elements of our security system are engaged in this struggle.

He thanked PTJ members for their readiness to risk their lives in this struggle, in order to secure a better future for our citizens, adding that the world is faced with various challenges and Serbia is no exception.

Fight against terrorism, which received a heavy blow these days, as well as the fight against organised and all other forms of crime, including corruption, is a precondition for the creation of peace, stability and economic prosperity, Tadic noted.

We will continue this fight for the welfare of our citizens, said Tadic who was presented with a PTJ plaque of honour by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic.

Dacic observed that coordinated activities of all state organs, as well as strong international police cooperation, have contributed to the successful struggle against crime.

We have seen coordinated and systematic work of state organs tasked with law enforcement and an increased degree of international cooperation, which has all resulted in much better results in the fight against crime, terrorism and corruption, Dacic underlined.

He highlighted the importance of PTJ as an elite police unit in the fight against the severest forms of crime, thanking PTJ members for their exceptional efforts and results.

This has helped to raise the overall security level in Serbia to the satisfaction of all citizens, he added.

Dacic also said that despite economic difficulties, the Ministry of the Interior has managed to upgrade equipment of the PTJ to meet the highest international standards.

He voiced his belief that PTJ members will continue to complete their tasks professionally and efficiently, stressing that Serbian citizens expect them to continue combating crime and corruption.

The PTJ is engaged in the most dangerous and difficult tasks – the fight against terrorism, arrests of the most dangerous criminal groups, as security at various events and for the protection of foreign delegations.

Last year, this unit secured a nuclear transport from the Vinca Institute from Serbia and recently they were engaged as security for a shipment of gold from the Bor mine.

PTJ members performed an exercise and the best members of the unit received awards.

Representatives from the Serbian Army, the Ministry of Defence and the Security and Intelligence Agency also attended the celebration, as well as foreign diplomats, including US Ambassador Mary Walrick and Russian Ambassador Alexander Konuzin.