First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic said today that the Serbian police is the most important factor of stability in the country and pointed out that there is no strong state without a strong police and army.

At a central ceremony marking the Day of the Ministry of the Interior and Police Day in the training centre Makis, Dacic said that Serbia needs a strong police and army, primarily to serve the citizens. He stressed that the role of police is to protect citizens of Serbia and recalled that according to surveys, the citizens of Serbia trust the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC), the police and army most.

Dacic said that the role of the police is defined by the Constitution and law to protect and defend the country from crime, terrorism and violence. He recalled that the Serbian police in the past four years achieved significant results in this area, but also in the field of international cooperation.

He said that the Serbian police cooperate with all countries in the region, US police as well as with police forces of EU member states and Russia.

He also pointed out that the Serbian police achieved those results thanks to good cooperation within the framework of the National Security Council of the Republic of Serbia, expressing his belief that this will continue in the future.

The ceremony at Makis was also attended by Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic, Serbian government ministers, representative of the Serbian president Tomislav Nikolic, SPC Patriarch Irinej, church dignitaries, representatives of military and civilian security agencies, representatives of relevant ministries from the region, as well as representatives the diplomatic corps.

Dacic today laid a wreath before a plaque on the first Serbian Interior Minister Duke Jakov Nenadovic.

The laying of flowers at Duke Milos plaque, at the building of the Ministry of the Interior, was attended by Director of Police Milorad Veljovic, Deputy Minister of the Interior and Chief of the Department for Emergency Situations Predrag Maric, as well as numerous representatives of the Ministry.

Also, Director of Police Milorad Veljovic laid a wreath at the memorial Cukur fountain on Dobracina Street Belgrade.

The Day the Interior Ministry and Police Day is celebrated to commemorate the event in 1862, when the Serbian gendarmerie played a crucial role in the conflicts in Belgrade Cukur fountain, and events in the following two days during the Turkish bombardment of Belgrade.