International conference "Great War, Serbia, the Balkans and Great Powers"

The conference which hosts over 40 historians from 15 countries was opened by Head of the General Staff General Ljubisa Dikovic, who stressed that science has great responsibility and power to answer some still occurring questions about the Great War.

- Science has great power and a vast amount of facts to prove to the world that Serbia gave a great contribution to the idea of unity in the world during the Great War. Even 100 years after the beginning of the Great War, a need still exists to think, talk and write about it. It is important to take an objective and unbiased look at all the processes and historical circumstances about the Great War and not to base our judgment about it on romanticized notions – General Dikovic said, adding that science can do that, because it is based on knowledge and deals with facts.

- We expect for this International Scientific Conference, which hosts over 40 eminent experts in history of the Great War from 15 countries, to provide impartial evaluation of the events that changed the world. Research of historians from different countries should contribute to better understanding of the Great War and the events that took place before and after the war. The truth is probably the only realistic foundation for mutual future of states, strengthening trust and true partnership, and the truth is only reached through scientific research – General Dikovic said while during his opening of the international conference on the role of Serbia, the Balkans and the great powers in the Great War.

Head of the General Staff also pointed out that the contemporary attempts at overestimating the significance of the role and contribution of Serbia, which stood victorious after the greatest war slaughter thus far as the winner and one of the founders of the League of Nations, most often inspired by political interpretations, cannot affect the facts about the victims, hardships and material devastation that should serve as a warning for the future generations. 

The participants of the International Conference "Great War, Serbia, the Balkans and Great Powers", who will be working in seven plenary panels today and tomorrow, were also greeted by Jovanka Saranovic, PhD, Director of the Strategic Research Institute of the Ministry of Defence and Srdjan Rudic, PhD, Director of the Belgrade Historical Institute.

The opening of the conference was attended by State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence Zoran Djordjevic, Assistant Defence Minister for Human Resources, officials of the Ministry of Defence departments, Serbian General Staff and numerous scientific institutions.