Vucic on the anniversary of “Storm”: Serbia must preserve the memory of Serbian victims and build peace in the region

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated, on the occasion of the anniversary of Croatia’s military-police operation “Storm,” that Serbia’s strategic commitment is to preserve peace and stability in the region, emphasizing that peace benefits Serbs. He also said that Serbs must show greater respect for their own victims and history, because otherwise no one else will do so.

Today marks 31 years since the Croatian military-police operation “Storm,” which began on August 4, 1995, during which around 2,000 Serbs were killed or went missing, while more than 220,000 were expelled. Today is a Day of Mourning in the Republic of Srpska, and the central commemorative ceremony will be held in Mrkonjic Grad.

The Serbian president said that the suffering of Serbs in Croatia did not begin with “Operation Storm,” but much earlier, recalling the persecution and attacks against Serbs in several Croatian cities, which he described as a prelude to later events.

“Krajina Serbs were a brave and dignified people, and today they remain a proud people. However, for 30 years we remained silent and never spoke about what happened,” he stated.

He said that Serbia must simultaneously preserve the memory of Serbian victims and build peace in the region, recalling that Belgrade had acknowledged crimes committed by members of the Serbian people and expressed respect for the victims of others.

“We must show reverence and respect for the victims of others, but it is time to speak openly about the suffering of the Serbian people as well. Not with the desire to take revenge on anyone, nor to provoke new conflicts, but to be aware of reality and approach everything rationally,” Vucic concluded.

He added that peace benefits Serbs.

“Today, time is working in our favor. We are developing faster than others, progressing faster than others, and our economy is advancing faster and better. This increases our strength and our comparative advantages,” Vucic told the morning news program of Radio Television of Serbia.

Speaking about support for Serbs in the region, Vucic said that it is important for Serbia’s presence to be visible in every municipality of the Republic of Srpska, as well as in Drvar, Grahovo, Glamoc, and Bosanski Petrovac, where Serbs make up the majority. He stated that state borders must not be an obstacle to national unity and that it is important to preserve the Serbian language, Cyrillic script, and a shared educational space.

“We must understand that we belong to the same people, regardless of the fact that state borders divide us, and insist on national and people’s unity, because no one has the right to take that away from us and no one ever will,” Vucic emphasized.

He assessed that, even three decades after the wars, tensions remain strong because “public discourse often insists on one’s own suffering and the guilt of the other side.”

He also referred to his visit to his birthplace of Cipuljic, where, he said, he was pleasantly surprised by the number of people of different nationalities who came to greet him.

“I especially thank those who, because of my arrival, put up the wartime flags of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Thank you for showing that they have not understood that it is time to live in peace and talk about cooperation and how to improve our economies. I do not have to respond defiantly, but rather rationally and reasonably,” Vucic said.

Speaking about Serbia’s position, Vucic emphasized that the country is stronger today than before and that differences in strength should primarily be built through economic development, reindustrialization, and investment in new technologies.

“Today, the Croatian army is not stronger than our army, that is all I can say. Therefore, we need to focus on work, the economy, further reindustrialization of the country, and investments in artificial intelligence and everything else,” Vucic said.

The Serbian president criticized the decision of the Government of Montenegro to send its representative to the commemoration of “Operation Storm” in Knin, noting that at the same time it did not send a representative to the commemoration of Serbian victims in Mrkonjic Grad.

“Official Montenegro is participating in the celebration of ‘Storm,’ while it did not send anyone to the commemorative event honoring the Serbs killed in Mrkonjic Grad. Thank you to the Government of Montenegro. This is not the end, this is only the beginning of such decisions,” Vucic said.

He assessed that the expectations of part of the public following the political changes in Montenegro in 2020 were too great and stated that Serbia must continue providing support to the Republic of Srpska and the Serbian people in Montenegro.

“It is good that we can put all these facts together, because we will be better prepared for the political events ahead. We need to be aware of all the problems and divisions that have been imposed on us,” Vucic concluded.