Vucic: Pristina is hiding autopsy reports of the Serbs killed in Banjska

President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic stated today that Pristina was hiding autopsy reports of the Serbs killed in Banjska and that a full three months had passed without the families and lawyers of the victims receiving autopsy findings.

"We have asked for the reports countless times. They said the autopsy was done, but when we asked, they did not say who performed it", he emphasized.

Vucic stated that on December 4, the Albanian Post published an article about Albin Kurti's meeting with special units.

At the time, Kurti criticized the special forces, stating that they had done nothing in Banjska, as they had killed three individuals with a sniper rifle. The special forces claimed that not all attackers had been killed by a sniper or from a distance.

"Just as we warned the global public that was not interested in the killed Serbs. For us, they are people, and as long as the world exists, we will seek why and how they were cold-bloodedly killed. This is proof of how they treated our people", he underscored.

This year, the highest number of attacks on the Serbs – 454 incidents in total over three years

Vucic conveyed that 176 ethnically motivated incidents and attacks on the Serbs had been recorded, since the beginning of this year. Last year there had been 150, and in 2021 – 128.

"That is a total of 454 incidents", Vucic noted.

On the other hand, he emphasized that, despite accusations from Pristina that the Albanians in the north had been attacked 114 times, there was no legal basis or international norm for the police, let alone Security Forces from Pristina, to be present in the north of Kosovo and Metohija.

He reminded that according to the Brussels Agreement, the regional police force consists of the Serbs, 98%, while the remaining two percent are made up of other ethnic groups from the north, and the Serbs propose the regional director.

"However, none of that was the case", Vucic stated.

He provided data that, despite this, especially in northern Kosovo, the number of newborn babies at the Clinical Hospital Center "Kosovska Mitrovica" this year was 480.

"Last year, 482 babies were born, so we will have a slightly higher number than last year. There is a slightly smaller number in maternity hospitals in Pasjane and Gracanica - 123 and 265 babies. We expect to have about 900 babies, while last year there were 911 babies", Vucic said.

Kurti doesn't want to implement any agreement; we are waiting for the formation of the CSM- there is no recognition of Kosovo or membership of Pristina in the UN

Vucic reiterated that Albin Kurti did not want to implement any agreement. Serbia, he says, wants to implement and will implement what it has stated it can do in a decent and correct manner.

"But we will wait for the formation of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities", Vucic said.

He emphasized that Serbia had always tried to reach a compromise.

"We are always for the 'Open Balkan'; we have no problem with that, but we will always put a disclaimer to let everyone know that Serbia does not recognize and will not recognize the independence of Kosovo, nor will it accept any document that obliges it to support and assist the so-called Kosovo in joining the UN, agencies, and organizations of the United Nations. Neither in the long term nor in the short term will we accept such an obligation", President Vucic stated.

He added that he expected a broad debate on this issue in January.

"These are not simple things. It is not an easy situation, and everything related to the freedom of movement of people, services, and goods, we should have finished that, to show that they don't want any of it. It has never cost us anything, except that everyone used it for senseless battles and wasting energy", Vucic said.

A strong and stable Serbia is not in the interest of Albin Kurti and others in the region

When asked about the relationship between Albin Kurti and the Serbian opposition towards the Serbs in Republika Srpska and Kosovo, he said it would be unfair to say that there was coordination of views, but there were certainly common interests, which were more accidental and, he believes, unintentional.

"It is certain that there is an agreement in a part of the region, including Kurti and the former regime, about three issues. First, representatives of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija and Republika Srpska should be disparaged everywhere. It is not a coincidence that Kurti's media and the media of the former regime, as well as those of other countries in the region, but also left-liberal-green circles in Europe, have waged the same campaign against our people in northern Kosovo and Republika Srpska", he emphasized.

Vucic stated that another fact was that everyone had him and his family as their main target.

"Always, as Seselj and Kurti said yesterday, my son must be guilty, who was driving a car in Kosovo. Imagine that sin, as well as the picture with the Serbs in Kosovo, and being proud that he didn't take off his shirt despite a gun pointed at him. I certainly wouldn't be so brave, but I am proud of my son for being so brave", he added.

He said there was also complete and perfect coordination and synchronization of their media regarding election theft, without any evidence or objections.

"Why would Kurti want to say something nice about Serbia, why would Zagreb want that? The IMF said Serbia would surpass Croatia by 2028 in terms of GDP. Why would they be interested in a sovereign and stable Serbia? So, it's better to support those who want to undermine Serbia", Vucic added.

Regular elections, the calmest in recent history of Serbia

Vucic also said that there had been no irregularities in the elections and that it had never happened in the history of Serbia that there had been no physical incidents during the campaign.

"The elections were peaceful, the calmest in recent history of Serbia. I am very proud of this fact", Vucic emphasized and added that two minor incidents had been recorded.

Regarding "phantom voters", he said that the opposition had submitted 496 calls to the REC, which had been immediately forwarded to the Ministry of the Interior. He added that the opposition used deception and lies to justify its defeat.

He pointed out that many, from the opposition to Albin Kurti and some international observers, claimed that the elections in Serbia had been rigged because they did not want Serbia to pursue an independent policy.

"Two observers from Austria, from the leftist party, watched our elections... and the same observers stole elections in their parties, and all media in their country wrote about those scandals", Vucic said.

He announced that the constitution of the parliament would take place in January and expressed the expectation that the new government would be formed by the end of February.

I urge everyone to stop the hunger strike

Vucic called on all opposition representatives to end the hunger strike they started. He also asked Ugljesa Grgur from the "Serbia Must Not Stop" list, who also started a hunger strike "because of the opposition's election theft", to end the strike.

"I won't talk about what many said about Tomislav Nikolic, from exhibitionism to everything else, the nastiest, ugliest possible things, even though the man was in much worse condition after two days... I want to ask everyone who is on hunger strike, and I saw Veselinovic and others there, to stop the hunger strike", Vucic said.

Building highways – a completely new bloodstream for Serbia

Vucic reminded that the construction of a fast traffic route from Backi Breg to Srpska Crnja, the so-called "Smile of Serbia", has begun, which will be worth no less than two billion euros, as well as a fast traffic route Belgrade – Zrenjanin – Novi Sad.

"We opened the highway Ruma – Sabac, and we continue to build towards Loznica, with a branch Slepcevic – Badovinci, along Kuzmin – Sremska Raca... All of that is a huge amount of money, but it will be a completely new bloodstream for Serbia", Vucic emphasized.

He announced that in a few months, the fast traffic route to Pozarevac would be completed, then further to Veliko Gradiste and Golubac, and when the highway to Pozega was completed, the construction of two corridors would follow – towards Montenegro, to Duga Poljana and Boljare, and from Duga Poljana to Nova Varos, so that Varos and Priboj did not die out, and then another one, towards Kotroman and Visegrad, which, he believes, would start being built in 2025.

Next year, special investments in education and healthcare

Vucic announced that the government would have special investments in two areas next year, namely education and healthcare.

"We will invest more money than ever in education and healthcare. We will change a lot, not just in terms of salary increases", Vucic said.

He emphasized that additional investments would be made in dual education, and Serbia would take over franchises from the most eminent universities in the world to keep young people who thought it was better to study abroad.

When it comes to healthcare, Vucic emphasizes that, in addition to building hospitals and healthcare centers, special attention will be given to personnel and the employment of new professionals.

"In healthcare, where we have invested a lot, we will have to work and invest a lot in people. Those who sacrificed their lives during COVID will now get jobs", Vucic said.

Economic successes leave ample room for future progress

President Vucic highlighted that economic data towards the end of the year left ample room for the country's future progress.

He pointed out that starting January 1, salaries in the public sector would increase by 10%, and the minimum wage would be above 47,000 dinars.

"No one will be able to have a salary less than 47,000 dinars. Compared to 2011 when the minimum wage was 15,000 dinars, this is significant progress, taking into account inflation and the cost of living", Vucic emphasized.

Pensions, he added, would increase by 14.8%.

"All of this shows that we have no problems with public finances. From the budget rebellion, we had revenues that were 300 million euros higher", Vucic explained.

He highlighted that the latest results indicate that the deficit rate would be around 2.3 to 2.4%, which was below what had been envisaged in discussions with the IMF.

"These are extremely important and good results. The public debt ratio will not exceed 52.5% compared to GDP, leaving ample and important room for future progress", the President of Serbia emphasized.