BELGRADE, June 28 First Deputy Prime Minister and head of the Serbian Foreign Ministry Ivica Dacic said that the extradition of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to the court in The Hague in 2001 is a tragedy for Serbia and its people.
On Wednesday, Serbia celebrates one of the most important holidays for the country, Vidovdan (St. Vitus Day), which is dedicated to the anniversary of the battle on Kosovo on June 28, 1389 with the Ottoman Turks. During the battle, the Serbian prince Lazar Khrebelyanovich and the Turkish sultan Murad were killed, the event was decisive for the formation of the national philosophy and worldview of the Serbs.
Dacic, on the air of Radio and Television of Vojvodina, noted that the Battle of Kosovo «historically, mythologically and genetically entered the DNA of the Serbian people and history,» but there are many other events. «All Serbian enemies wanted to deal with us on Vidovdan. The assassination in Sarajevo (Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 — ed.) was preceded by the decision to conduct Austro-Hungarian military maneuvers in Sarajevo on Vidovdan,» he said.
“Someone can argue about Milosevic, about his historical role, everyone will have their own political approach. Vidovdan,» the Serbian Foreign Minister stressed.
Milosevic headed the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1990 to 2000. The period of his reign saw the collapse of this country due to the civil war, as well as the war to preserve the autonomous province of Kosovo as part of Yugoslavia, which culminated in NATO strikes on Yugoslav territory.
In June 2001, Belgrade extradited the former president to The Hague Tribunal. The trial of Milosevic began in February 2002. The politician died at the age of 65 from a massive myocardial infarction on March 11, 2006 in the prison cell of the Hague Tribunal, where he was under investigation for almost five years. The circumstances of his death have not yet been fully clarified.