Serbian actress on Lukashenko's visit to Yugoslavia in 1999

The visit of the President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, to Yugoslavia in 1999 was a significant event – as stated by a Serbian theatre and film actress, director, holder of the Belarusian President’s special prize, Ivana Zigon, in her talk with the Belarus 1 TV channel, BelTA reports

Photo: Belarus 1 TV channel screenshot

NATO launched a military operation against Yugoslavia on March 24th, 1999, and it was stated that the attacks would be directed at military infrastructure. However, civilian objects were also hit: i.e. a railway bridge over the South Morava River in the Grdelica Gorge, when a passenger train was travelling over it, was hit. “I cannot help but mention that bridge, remembering those terrible days. It was so meaningful for us when your President arrived," Ivana Zigon said.

Belarus’ President Aleksandr Lukashenko arrived to Yugoslavia on April 14th, 1999, and journalists later called it ‘a visit accompanied by NATO bombing’. At the same time, NATO, for its part, did not guarantee the safe flight of the Belarusian President's aircraft. “It was an event. It was like we won," Ms. Zigon stressed.

The President of Belarus visited the wounded in the hospital, talked with residents of Belgrade, walked through the streets that were under air attacks. "My father was a prisoner of the Dachau camp. He stayed there for three years as a young man. He fell in love with Russia there. He watched people die. They died in different ways. He admired Soviet soldiers because he saw that all of them were dying fearlessly for their Motherland," Ms. Zigon added. "My father witnessed the scene when your President was visiting a military hospital, there was a teenager there, and your President's voice was trembling, and my father started crying."