Today we mark the 26th anniversary since the beginning of the NATO aggression against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which lasted 78 days and left deep scars on the people and territory of Serbia. On this occasion, HRH Hereditary Prince Philip and HRH Princess Danica laid flowers in Tašmajdan Park at the monument to little Milica Rakić, a three-year-old girl who died on a potty in her family home in Batajnica and who was one of 80 children killed during the NATO aggression.
“The 78-day onslaught left a profound and lasting imprint, reshaping countless lives and forever altering our nation’s landscape, people, and collective memory”, said Prince Philip.
In his message, he emphasized the importance of remembering the victims and suffering of innocent people, as well as the need to foster peace and dialogue. “As we pause to reflect, we remember the civilians who faced immense hardship, the families uprooted from their homes, communities shattered, the countless lives either lost or irrevocably changed. History teaches us to prefer dialogue to discord and diplomacy to destruction,” said the Hereditary Prince.
Prince Philip also issued a clear call for the international community to face the consequences of its own decisions. “While paying tribute to all those affected by this tragedy, the international community, and in particular the NATO member states that participated in the bombing without the authorisation of the United Nations Security Council, must recognise and take responsibility for the lasting geopolitical and humanitarian consequences of such unilateral and unlawful actions.,” Prince Philip stressed.
