Serbia has published an issue of commemorative postage stamps to honour the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence.
Ivica Dacic, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia released the special stamp in the presence of Indian Ambassador Sanjiv Kohli and Zoran Dordevic, Acting Director of the Post of Serbia at an event held in Belgrade.
Dacic said that the commemorative postage stamps are an expression of great respect and friendship towards India. He congratulated the Indian government and lauded the significant and traditional friendly relations between Serbia and India, which will also mark 75 years of diplomatic relations next year.
“Serbia follows with great respect the strong development of India, as one of the political, economic and technological leaders of the modern world, and we are always pleased to point out that modern India is one of the most influential and greatest friends of Serbia,” said Dacic.
In his address, Ambassador Kohli expressed profound gratitude to the management of the Post of Serbia for the considerate gesture and said that the release of the commemorative stamp honouring the 75th anniversary of India presents a testimony of the historic friendship between India and Serbia.
He added that the independence of India reverberated globally as it inspired the movements against colonisation and apartheid in many other countries. He gave a brief presentation of India’s achievements in many fields during the last 75 years and highlighted that they were happy to share their knowledge and experience with the rest of the world, because India has always sought for global good as a part of its civilizational belief that the entire world is one family.
Presenting Kohli and Dacic with a gift issue of commemorative postage stamps, Dordevic mentioned that India is a major global power, a long-term strategic partner and a friend.
“As a sign of gratitude for having always supporting us and being a true friend, especially in difficult moments, and as a sign of our respect for India’s heroic and long struggle, we mark the jubilee of its independence with a commemorative philatelic issue to leave lasting testimony for the generations to come, together with many other legacies of their struggle for freedom and modern high-end achievements that will survive through time”, said Serbia Post Director.
The commemorative postage stamp ‘Seventy-Five Years of Statehood of the Republic of India’ displays the logo of the initiative of the Government of India – India@75 Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, within which a number of events throughout India commemorate the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, lasting until 15 August 2023 – a year after the jubilee.
The art design of the issue, which contains the commemorative postal stamp in eight-stamp sheet, the first day cover and the commemorative seal, is the work of Nadezda Skocajic, the Designer of the stamps for the Post of Serbia. Expert cooperation in realisation of the issue was provided by the Embassy of India in Belgrade.
