Vucic: Sachs is right when he says that the aim of the 1999 bombing was to break up Serbia

President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic emphasized today that he fully agrees with the statement made by American professor Jeffrey Sachs, who stated that the aim of the 1999 bombing was to break up Serbia, shift the country's borders, and that it was an illegal decision due to the lack of UN authorization.

Sachs also mentioned that another aim of the bombing was the construction of Bondsteel, and the President of Serbia noted that this is possible but "it no longer matters now."

"A very valuable and important statement from one of the most renowned professors in the world, and I would agree with him. He mentioned two important things here. It is rarely heard in the world that the bombing was against the UN Charter and UN rules. Serbia was attacked and subjected to aggression. One particularly important thing for me is that he said the goal was to break up Serbia, not some humanitarian catastrophe. There will always be a way to justify unlawful behavior, but the essence was breaking up Serbia and taking territory. Whether part of that story is that the aim was to set up the largest base in the Balkans is not important," Vucic said.

He mentioned that the international community is trying to resolve the situation in Kosovo and turn it from "illegal to legal" to continue working according to their own interests.

"When Russians ask what was done in Kosovo, they only want to somehow validate the transition from an illegal to legal status of the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, so they can criticize what Russia is doing today," Vucic stated.

President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic also emphasized that Serbia, Republic of Srpska, and the entire Serbian nation were exposed not only to insults and untruths but also to the most direct threats during the commemoration of 29 years since the Srebrenica massacre.

"Twenty-four hours ago, we had the opportunity to follow the event in Srebrenica, commemorating 29 years since the massacre, and instead of it being an opportunity for reconciliation, words of respect for the victims, Serbia, the Serbian people, and Republic of Srpska were exposed not only to insults, untruths, but also to the most direct threats," Vucic said.

He stated that Serbia is facing numerous political challenges, which it did not create itself nor is responsible for in any way.

"With the conflict in Ukraine two and a half years ago, many in the region tried to use it for a final blow to Serbia because only an economically weakened, politically fragmented, and territorially divided or seized Serbia can be welcome," he emphasized.

He added that in the last two and a half years, since the war in Ukraine began, there have been claims that Serbia is preparing for new military conflicts.

"You could hear claims that it’s only a matter of time before Putin orders me, his henchman, to attack some country in the region," Vucic said.

Vucic stressed that those who try to undermine Serbia primarily serve foreign interests and avoid any kind of dialogue and agreement with Serbia.

These same people, Vucic pointed out, rely on Western powers and their support and seek to alter the truth to destroy Serbia, doing so by revising history.

He stated that they strive to erase from memory Jasenovac and Operation Storm, as well as all other crimes committed against Serbs.

Vucic added that a campaign is being waged against Serbia, portraying it as a "Russian agent" and a state that wants war.

"False accusations that Serbia wants war are inversely proportional to what is really happening, and Serbia does not want war at any cost," Vucic asserted.

He emphasized that Serbia is also accused of being a country with a lack of democracy.

"To achieve all this, it is primarily necessary to economically destroy Serbia, which is getting stronger every day," Vucic emphasized, adding that the progress of Serbia is evidenced by the large number of cars and brands that citizens drive and buy.

He noted that there are attempts to slow down Serbia's development by obstructing European integration and the "Jadar" project.

"And to make all this successful, a political media aggression is being conducted, which can be seen if one follows European, global, regional, and Serbian media," the President of Serbia noted.

According to him, the main media in Podgorica, Montenegro, and Pristina are going too far with their "lies and nonsense."

"When you have nothing to offer your people, you cannot compare yourself to Serbia," he concluded.

"We do not want to go to war against the Bosniaks, and that is my message to all Bosniaks."

Noting that two or three days ago the Assembly of Republic of Srpska decided to postpone the session on secession, Vucic said that it should have at least provoked some kind of respect from "the others," but it did not even deserve to be news.

He emphasized that this is because they do not want something like this to be postponed or stopped, as they desire conflicts plus NATO intervention in Serbia.

"This is common to the forces in Pristina, in Sarajevo, and for many others. They are waiting for the opportunity because NATO did not have the courage to attack Russia, as it did little Serbia. If they had principles, they would attack Russia as well, but it is important to provoke Serbia to do something so that NATO would intervene and break Serbia," the President emphasized.

He added that if Serbia did something like that and responded to yesterday's open calls for war, NATO would be drawn in.

He emphasized that yesterday Serbia was clearly marked and targeted, and that it is clear what the response should be, which is the essential and final end of Serbia.

"Only then would they be satisfied because only then could they say that the Balkans are peaceful, because as long as Serbia is not good, and it is only good when it fulfills all their wishes, there will be no peace in the Balkans," he pointed out.

Commenting on the statement about the implementation of the adopted Resolution and the start of its implementation, Vucic said that this is exactly what he opposed because they talked about how there was nothing to implement in the Resolution, that it was just a declaration of civilizational values.

"In the meantime, we realized that when someone adopts a resolution on Jasenovac, it is a blow against Europe and not a civilizational act, and it is unequivocal that, according to Franjo Tuđman's words, 30,000 to 40,000 people were killed in Jasenovac," he said.

Responding to accusations of a Greater Serbia policy in Belgrade, he said it is based on the fact that Serbia has repeatedly emphasized in the past 12 years that it recognizes the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the respect of the Dayton Agreement and the respect for the entity of Republic of Srpska.

"You thought you would finally break Dayton, but then Vucic appeared and dared to say it cannot all go as you imagined. My policy is grand for the economy, growth, but you cannot understand that," he said.

He stated that the implementation of the resolution on Srebrenica was intended to bring about the disappearance of Republic of Srpska, Serbia, and to draw Serbia into a conflict with NATO.

He emphasized that there are smart people in NATO who will not agree to this, and that the Serbs are wise as well.

Mentioning that they want to show Serbia that they are much stronger, Vucic said that he does not want to talk in that manner.

"We do not want to go to war against you, we do not want to go to war against the Bosniaks, and that is my message to all Bosniaks. We will do everything we can to avoid it, I hope they will not abolish Republic of Srpska and will not kill Serbs. We will not fall for provocations, and I will not talk every day about how much stronger the Serbian defense industry is compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Croatia is strong, but Bosnia and Herzegovina is far from it. I don't want to think about that, why don't they focus on highways," Vucic said.

Commenting on the commemoration of the Battle of Kozara, which was attended by cadets of the Serbian Army without weapons, Vucic emphasized that even the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konakovic, said that everything was done in accordance with the laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Regarding the accusations that Serbia did not show respect towards the victims of Srebrenica, Vucic reminded that nine years ago, as the Prime Minister of Serbia, he did so.

"We have shown respect, I paid tribute to the victims, expressed condolences to the mothers of Srebrenica, and barely survived. I had enough pride not to bow my head, and those who were there at that time cannot joke about it," he said.

When asked by a journalist to comment on the statement by the president of the "Mothers of Srebrenica," Munira Subasic, that he can expect Allah's punishment because Serbia did not join the Resolution on Srebrenica, Vucic said that he expressed his condolences to her and others who survived such terrible losses, but he did not understand why she had to mention his children.

"As for her saying that Allah will punish me, I thank her for that. I will not say a harsh word to a mother who has experienced such a terrible tragedy. I'm not very religious, but I will pray to God that this kind of fatwa does not apply to my children, because first it was said that I'm not alone, Vucic, you have children and grandchildren, and then that she wishes all the best for the children. Whether Allah will punish me is up to God, not Munira Subasic," Vucic said.

Responding to the statements of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, that the Declaration provides for the right to Serbian secession, Vucic said it is a notorious lie.

In any case, he said, it is unimaginable that Schmidt would say there is something in it that is said against him.

"It is already said that the right to secession is supported. Maybe it was written in some draft, but it is not in the act. They say the Resolution on Srebrenica was misunderstood, but the resolution on Jasenovac was not. How are those double standards, and then you have a country in the EU saying that the resolution on Jasenovac overshadowed the Resolution on Srebrenica, even though Jasenovac and Srebrenica are not comparable. That is incredible hypocrisy," he stated.

He stated that yesterday the German Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin, said he had nothing against Serbs or Serbia, but that genocide occurred in Srebrenica.

"Everything is legitimate, but how come when it comes to Serbs and Serbia, and a month ago you assured me that it has nothing to do with Serbia or Serbs. How did you now remember that it has something to do with Serbs and Serbia when you told us until a month ago that it has nothing to do with collective guilt? How come you didn't name anyone individually, did someone help you, or did you come up with this on your own? Sarrazin is intelligent, he came up with it on his own, but it shows a clear intent from a month ago," Vucic said.

Visit to Egypt

Vucic announced that tomorrow and the day after, he will be visiting Egypt, where he will have bilateral talks with Egyptian President Al-Sisi. After that, he will travel to London for a meeting of the European Political Community on the 17th and 18th, where all European leaders will be present, and on the 19th, he expects a significant visit to Serbia.

After that, important openings of major economic events are expected.

"This will be a summer where we need to set things up clearly that we do not reconcile with obstacles, but instead, we pave the way to the future for our citizens in the best way," he said.

What About the Victims in Bratunac and the Crimes Against Serbs

Vucic emphasized that the West does not view crimes committed against Serbs in the same way as those against other peoples of the former Yugoslavia.

"The question for the so-called international community is what about the victims in Bratunac, what was done to the Serbs there? Why didn't you go there to lay a flower or a wreath, or do human lives not have equal value for you?" Vucic asked.

The President of Serbia then read testimonies from Muslim soldiers who spoke about the crimes committed against Serbs by the former commander of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Naser Oric.

He read that a witness claimed to have "seen with his own eyes" how Oric slaughtered two or three people and threw them into a grave. Additionally, the witness stated that two more men were killed at that time.

According to the witness's statement, a total of five men in uniforms were killed and thrown into a grave.

"The attack on Fakovic is an unimaginable battle," the witness said, as read by Vucic.

According to further testimony, in Fakovic, members of the Muslim army killed a woman by first cutting off her finger "alive" to remove her ring and then stabbing her fatally in the stomach.

Other prisoners from Fakovic, the witness said, were slaughtered and killed.

After reading the witness's statement, Vucic asked, "And no one is guilty or responsible for this?"

He stated that Serbia legally and morally condemns the perpetrators of the crimes in Srebrenica, but that no one in the West has spoken out and demanded justice for the crimes committed against Serbs.

Despite everything, Vucic asserted that it is important for Serbia that "such things never happen again."

"We will preserve peace, and these are too terrible things to allow them to happen again," he said.

He expressed satisfaction that Serbia has shown its stance and demonstrated how it fights for the truth at the UN session in New York.

"I cannot tell you how pleased I am that we have shown humanity that great powers cannot change the truth and accuse an entire nation for what happened in the former Yugoslavia," Vucic said.

He announced that a detailed analysis will be presented to the media on how the Dayton Agreement is being undermined "just to destroy Republic of Srpska."

He emphasized that the leadership of Serbia is committed to both the Serbian and Bosniak people and that special investments are being made in Serbian towns where Bosniaks live.

"No one is allowed to harm anyone just because they are Bosniak, and as for the Serbs, I will always remain on the side of national interests. We will preserve peace, we will not participate in war situations, and we will not go to war," Vucic concluded.