The Eternal Flame (Serbian: Вечна ватра, romanized: Večna vatra) is a memorial in the Park of Friendship in Belgrade, Serbia.

It is dedicated to the military and civilian casualties resulting from the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 and symbolizes the resistance of the Serbian nation to the attack.

It was vandalized following the overthrow of Slobodan Milošević in October 2000 and was left to the elements until its partial renovation in 2019,[1] but the flame remained extinguished.

It is in the park's plane trees alley, some 300 m (980 ft) away from the central landmark in this part of Belgrade, the Ušće Towers skyscrapers.

The ceremony was attended by Federal Defence Minister Dragoljub Ojdanić, chairman of the Directorate for the Reconstruction of the Country Milutin Mrkonjić and many other high-ranking Yugoslav officials and members of the cultural and scientific elite.

[6] Being built without any necessary permits, the monument was officially considered illegal ("unregulated status"), so it could't be legally renovated by any state or local institution.

Parts of the plans included replacement of the bronze flame sculptured on top of the obelisk, with fire burning inside, which was deemed contradictory.

City administration then abandoned any plans and works on the subject, claiming that the authors of the monument objected the remodeling, though in some cases the consent is not necessary.

One of the co-authors, sculptor Svetomir Radović, who also had issues with the monument as it turned out in the end, said that no one contacted him and that he wouldn't mind the remodeling if he finds it appropriate.

Deputy mayor Goran Vesić said that the flame will be lit again on 24 March, on 21st anniversary of the bombing, but also added that gas installations feeding the burner are in extremely bad shape, which may prolong the deadline for a week.

The entire sculptural-spatial composition was designed by the sculptors brothers Svetomir and Svetozar Radović, and architects Marko Stevanović and Miodrag Cvijić.

[1][9] Ова ватра нека вечно гори као успомена на рат који је 19 земаља НАТО пакта – Сједињене Америчке Државе, Канада, Велика Британија, Француска, Немачка, Холандија, Италија, Грчка, Турска, Данска, Белгија, Шпанија, Португалија, Исланд, Норвешка, Луксембург, Пољска, Мађарска и Чешка – водило против Србије од 24. марта до 10. јуна 1999. године.

Нека вечно гори и као успомена на херојску одбрану Србије у којој је учествовао цео народ.

Народ Србије May this flame burn eternally as a memorial to the war that the 19 countries of the NATO pact – the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Denmark, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Iceland, Norway, Luxembourg, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic – led against Serbia from 24 March to 10 June 1999.

The people of Serbia For the lateral sides (northern and southern walls), which are decorated with marble blocks, Marković decided to use quotes from the poems Jugoslavija (Yugoslavia) and Domovini (To the Homeland) by the poet Branko Miljković.

Signing "people of Serbia" under her text was seen as problematic, and especially Marković's usage of Branko Miljković's lyrics, both in terms of their true meaning and author's rights.

[2][6] Co-author Svetomir Radović, criticized the text compiled by Mirjana Marković, considering it improper for the work of art, and too long.

He also opted for the concrete pedestal to be plated with marble and granite slabs so it could be more easily cleaned from the graffiti, but due to the hastiness in construction, this was left out.