The President of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović, said that anti-fascism remains a state guideline for all time.
"It is our duty to constantly highlight the importance of anti-fascism and conduct political debates that will help ensure that only in anti-fascist Montenegro there is room for all our differences," Đukanović pointed out at the academy on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Montenegro from fascism.
He said that no statistics can measure the suffering of the Montenegrin population in the Second World War.
"The title of national hero was given to 257 fighters from Montenegro. 50 percent of material goods were destroyed...", said Đukanović, saying that "we were the first to stand up against fascism".
Đukanović said that he believes that Montenegro's membership in NATO is a granite guarantee for the preservation of its permanent anti-fascist orientation.
"NATO is based on values that are necessary for nurturing and preserving anti-fascism, because it protects and promotes peace, collective security, equality, democratic development, human freedoms and rights, and the construction of civil society. These are common values that the Alliance shares with the European Union, whose membership we strive for," Đukanović said.
He said that "we must build institutions and establish strong social mechanisms for the preservation and promotion of anti-fascist values in times of new security challenges."
"It is our duty to highlight the importance of anti-fascism every day, to act in an enlightening manner, to lead serious political debates, which will help even those who deny or still do not understand the importance of these values to understand that only in anti-fascist Montenegro there is a place for all our differences. And when necessary, to that end, we must unwaveringly show the strength of the state," Đukanović said.
He said that Montenegro won the victory over fascism earlier than some other parts of Yugoslavia, but Europe and the world, with whom we are celebrating the 75th anniversary together next year: "Already at the end of 1944, practically the whole of Montenegro was liberated".
He pointed out that "such bright dates are historical milestones, but also signposts for the new era".
"The Montenegrin historical book is a great ode to freedom, from Tuđemil through Krus and Martinić, to Grahovac and Vučje dol, from July 13, 1878, to Mojkovac and the Christmas Uprising, to the great July 13, 1941, the famous partisan battles and the independence referendum on the 21st. May 2006", said Đukanović.
He assessed that in the days when we celebrate the jubilee of the liberation of Montenegro, it is an opportunity to remember how Podgorica was razed to the ground 75 years ago, while the people of Podgorica lived under the open sky.
Such a Podgorica, as he pointed out, was a reflection of Montenegro, which suffered in the war.
"According to official data, more than 40.000 people, or about 10 percent of the population, were killed and died in the camps. About 100 thousand, mostly young people, were interned, displaced and taken to camps. A third of the population were victims of war and fascist terror. About 50 percent of the total, already scarce material assets of Montenegro were destroyed. All Montenegrin human and material sufferings and sufferings of its population during the Second World War cannot be measured by any statistics," said Đukanović.
He pointed out that during the final battles for the liberation of Yugoslavia, 12 percent of the fighters from Montenegro were in the partisan units, which had less than five percent of the Yugoslav population:
"About 40 thousand Montenegrin partisans fought against the occupiers and local quislings, and over 14,5 thousand died. The title of national hero was awarded to 257 fighters from Montenegro, or over 20 percent of those declared in Yugoslavia".
Đukanović said that the Second World War was also a time of great Montenegrin divisions, with which contemporary Montenegrin society is also burdened:
"A part of the people then opted for collaborationist movements, for serving the occupier, committing the most terrible crimes against innocent Montenegrin citizens of other ideologies, religions and nations."
He pointed out that when we "talk about that page of our historical experience, we do not want to encourage the revival of traumatic, internal animosities and new divisions."
"But we also don't want to make compromises with those who today want to affirm those retrograde ideologies. Also, by recalling historical truths, we do not want to determine anyone's relationship to his ancestors. However, we will not allow anyone's memories and memories to be turned into an affirmation of sinister Nazi ideologies," said Đukanović.
The president of SUBNOR and the anti-fascist of Montenegro, Zuvdija Hodžić, said that he greeted those present on behalf of those who are the strongest when it is most needed and who do not transfer their obligations to others.
"And those who know that Montenegro is, and that it is black and that it is worse, it is ours," said Hodžić.
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