Orašac is a sacred place for Serbs, as it was from there, 221 years ago, that the seed of freedom was planted, said Radovan Višković, Prime Minister of Republika Srpska, during the official state ceremony marking Sretenje – the Statehood Day of Serbia, held in Orašac.
- “Freedom is sacred to the Serb people, a holy word and a covenant, and even today, attacks are being made on the freedom of Serbs. We in Republika Srpska know best how dearly we paid for our survival and freedom in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of the last century,” Višković emphasized.
He recalled that Karađorđe launched the uprising in Orašac in 1804, and by 1809, his forces had already reached Višegrad, sparking uprisings for the freedom of the Serb people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, though these were quickly suppressed.
- “Seventy years later, the uprising in Nevesinje – ‘Nevesinjska puška’ – was launched, after which Serbia and Montenegro gained statehood. Unfortunately, Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina did not achieve freedom then either but merely exchanged one occupier for another, moving from Ottoman rule to Austro-Hungarian control. That is why we know the true value of freedom,” Višković stated.
Višković expressed gratitude to Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić for their role in the All-Serb Assembly, where the Declaration on the Rights and Freedoms of the Serb People was adopted, officially establishing Sretenje as both Serbia’s and Srpska’s Statehood Day, acknowledging the profound significance of freedom for the Serb people.
- “In the name of our unity, solidarity, and brotherhood, may Serb freedom thrive wherever our people live, and may Srpska and Serbia live forever!” Višković declared.
Source: RTRS
