Security Information Agency Day 2012

On the occasion of the celebration of the Day of the Security-Information Agency - October 17, there was a reception at Agency headquarters today, for all its members.

After laying a wreath at the foot of the memorial plaque bearing the list of the names of the members of the civilian security services in Serbia, who have lost their lives, the Director of BIA addressed all those present during the ceremonial part of the reception which also involved the giving of annual awards for accomplishments:

Dear and esteemed colleagues,

I would like to extend my congratulations to you on this day, October 17, the Day of the Agency.

It seems incredible, but many years have passed in the course of these three centuries, from the time when certain knowledgeable and intellectual people in the government of the time, defined in the organizational sense, those special missions to be conducted by our Agency, as it is done even today by the Agency, i.e. as you, yourselves, as its members, are doing.

These missions have not changed in their essence ever since - they have been defined by law in the past, and they are defined by the current law in the present time.

The aim of these missions was "to preserve internal state order and general world security" and, today they relate to the protection of the security of the Republic of Serbia and its citizens, i.e. to the defence of the constitutional order and the Rule of Law against anarchy and lawlessness.

There is no difference between the two.

For so many years, many generations and many more individuals have put their energy into this honourable profession to the benefit of the Serbian state and its citizens.

Now it is the time of our generation, and it is our honour now, and a great responsibility, to bring forth this mission.

It is only up to us whether we will restore and preserve the dignity of the calling and the honour of the institution to which we belong. We have witnessed not a few times in the past these values being subjected to serious temptations.

Although I have not been with you that long, I take responsibility in saying and asserting that I am surrounded in my work by a an extraordinary generation of Agency members who, above all, love their Motherland - our Serbia.

The values we are called upon to defend, which represent the essence and the raison d'être of the state, have been exposed to serious and realistic threats and challenges. Certainly, there is no need for me to speak to you about these threats and challenges in more detail, since you are the first ones in this country who are responsible for detecting them on time, but also for their assessment and analysis. However, this is not enough. We are expected to fight against these threats and challenges actively approaching every challenge and counter them in a specific way. This too is not enough. These times calls for us to win this "game" without failing and to be better along the way. And I want us to be the best, and I will do everything in my power to achieve this goal. Because we are the best.

However, this is not going to be easy and will only be possible if each one of us makes a contribution, which will be more than just a routine. I want you to know that I do not approve of routine, neither in private life nor in professional work, because I think that challenges are the ones that inspire us and that enthusiasm and freedom lie in the spirit of the winning game.

As someone who has taken the assumed the not so light a burden of responsibility, for the results, for the legal component and professionalism of the work done by the Agency, I ask of you, above all, to be competent, serious, and maximally dedicated to the work you are doing. In doing so I want you to respect the Constitution, the laws, other institutions, and especially the Serbian citizens, their freedoms and rights. And I urge you to have special respect for the professional standards and, shall I say, the know-how, which are characteristic for this profession and this work.

I also expect from you to be constantly aware of the fact that you are the members of a national security-intelligence service and that you are obliged by law to take action aimed at the protection of the national interests, to the benefit of the state and its citizens, at the same time protecting the dignity of the institution, your families, your descendants and ancestors.

You have already seen and perceived that I will have neither understanding nor tolerance for the acts and behaviours opposite from the ones stated before.

This will apply to me also. I too will not be forgiven for doing otherwise.

On the other hand, it is my obligation and I will do everything and more than that, to improve the position of the Agency and its members in the material sense, with reference to their status and every other sense, no matter how unachievable this may seem in these difficult times our society is faced with.

Furthermore, as you could have seen during these first months I have been with you, my intention, which I am already putting into effect, is to build an institution that will have more of a "human-like character", to get to know every one of its members, to be engaged in the problems of its "small, ordinary people", to visit the smallest organizational unit located in the farthermost part of the country and to "overpass", minimise and, possibly wipe out completely the existing, obvious differences between certain entities.

As a sign to illustrate my intentions, and taking the opportunity of the celebration of the Day of the Agency, I have invited all the members who have not been prevented by their duties, to come here today to the Agency's Headquarters, and for many of them this is the first time to be in this building.

Now, I would like to extend my congratulations once more to all of you here, as well as to all the members who are working at this very moment, on the occasion of the celebration of the Day of the Agency.

Congratulations to the awarded officers, they have deserved their rewards by their hard work.

And let me add that there has been no favouritism, for as the verse goes:

Neither a name nor face are worth a thing
we hope for an eternal and easy life
when the cause disappears the consequences fade away
and we all find it the hardest to fight against ourselves.

May God give you good health and success in your work, and I wish your families to live long and well.