Minister Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski visits Kula municipality on a working visit

Minister of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski was on a working visit to the Municipality of Kula. The minister first visited the premises of the Gendarmerie Veterans Association “Knjaz Mihailo” in Kula, where she had the opportunity to see the progress of work on the building, which is already impressive. In conversation with association members, the minister learned about plans to turn the premises into a memorial centre once the renovation is complete. Also on the visit were Assistant Minister Duško Ćutilo and State Secretary at the Ministry of Family Care and Demography Sanja Lakić. In addition to their hosts, the members of the Gendarmerie Veterans Association “Knjaz Mihailo” and its president, Nebojša Bogunović, the minister and her delegation were welcomed by the President of the Municipality of Kula, Damjan Miljanić; Deputy President of the Municipality Karolj Valka; the president’s assistants Marko Košutić and Jelena Pavkov; and members of the Serbian Sisters’ Circle. The minister then visited the “Plava ptica” Association for Assistance to People with Developmental Disabilities, which is celebrating 29 years of existence this year. Association director Ivana Zazuljak Papuga expressed gratitude for the visit on behalf of the hosts, and a birthday cake was presented to the association’s members. During the visit, the minister learned about the supported-living programme for people with disabilities, which has been in place for many years and has proved to be an example of good practice. The final part of the visit took place in the settlement of Nova Crvenka, where the guests viewed the renovation work at the Memorial Park to the Salonika Volunteers and Founders of Nova Crvenka. As part of the programme, historian Uglješa Slijepčević and poet Jovan Batinić addressed those present. A public meeting with the residents of Nova Crvenka was then held, where the minister and the President of the Municipality spoke. Also present were representatives of the Kula Health Centre, the National Employment Service, the “Bambi” Preschool Institution and the Nova Crvenka Local Community. Speaking about the visit, Minister Đurđević Stamenkovski said that when she took over the portfolio, she had promised that the Ministry would not be just an address in the capital, but that she and her team would go out to meet people and be present in the field. The minister also stressed how pleased she was to have first visited the Veterans Association, since it was they who defended and bled for our homeland: “When I took over the portfolio for labour, employment, veterans’ and social affairs, I said on behalf of the team I lead that our ministry would not be just an address in the capital, but that we would go out to meet people and be present in the field. That is why we are committed to people, especially those who were ready to give everything for their homeland and their people, while usually asking for almost nothing in return. First and foremost, these are the fighters who defended their homeland in the wars of liberation from 1991, and some even after 2000 in the conflicts in the south of our country. They lost so much and had their youth cut short, but despite everything, they owe it to their fallen comrades, their families and the generations to come to ensure that their courage and sacrifice are not forgotten. That is precisely why I began my visit to the Municipality of Kula at the home of our veterans, where their love is woven into everything. They practically conceived all of this themselves, with the support of the local government and the ministry, which will continue to sponsor such important projects. The women from the Serbian Sisters’ Circle are here too, showing the solidarity of our society around important issues. We must preserve our identity and our history, and we must not allow anyone to revise historical facts. We must also remember who we are, because if we forget that, we will get nowhere. As for the social welfare system, our aim is to improve it further and, as I have already said, to stay close to our people and talk with them. When we were at the Ministry of Family Care, our team travelled to the most remote areas, and we joked that we had even managed to reach the heart of Bačka find a mountain peak and reach the municipality of Kula's farthest point, because even at the farthest points we must be closest to our people.” The President of the Municipality of Kula, Damjan Miljanić, thanked the minister for her visit and said that the local government has excellent cooperation with the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veterans' and Social Affairs, and that he is confident this mutually cordial cooperation will continue in the future: “The building of the Gendarmerie Veterans' Association ‘Prince Mihailo’ preserves the memory of the glorious periods of Serbian military history, and the amount of work invested here is immeasurable. This means a great deal to us as a municipality, and the ministry's support is certainly a positive thing in itself. This is just one in a series of projects being implemented jointly with the ministry. During the visit, we also toured the ‘Blue Bird’ association and the monument in Nova Crvenka, which is being restored; this is part of the activities the local government is carrying out with the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veterans' and Social Affairs. Cooperation with the ministry is excellent, very important projects for our municipality are being implemented, and I would like to thank Minister Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski for visiting us.”