Vucic: They are trying to expel Serbs from Kosovo, and those outside don’t mind at all

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated in Jagodina that the country is being attacked both from the outside and from within. He particularly pointed out the difficult situation of Serbs in Kosovo, which, as he emphasized, does not bother those outside at all.

"In Kosovo and Metohija, they are pressuring our people, trying to expel Serbs from both the north and the south. And those who are attacking Serbia from the outside don’t mind this at all. On the contrary, they support it. And for many inside, it’s not even an issue, and why would it be when they were silent in 2008 when Albanians declared independence," Vucic pointed out at a gathering organized for the establishment of the movement for the people and the state.

Before that, he added, the same people were silent in 2004 when there was a pogrom against Serbs from Kosovo, when 30 Serbian churches and monasteries were destroyed, as well as in 2006 when "Montenegro left."

"They were silent then too, and now we hear there was an agreement, for Montenegro to leave, as part of external support for them. To give up Montenegro and Kosovo and Metohija. And that wasn’t enough for them, they plundered the country like never before, from 2000 to 2012. They are wealthier, and the people are poorer. And now they lecture us, wanting to return to power, using children to return to power," Vucic said.

He emphasized that it was not by chance that those outside have started attacking Serbia, and that the geopolitical circumstances must be considered in order to preserve Serbia’s independence and autonomy.

"They want to take us back to the year 2000 when we were conquered and enslaved. To say – you cannot be an independent country, you cannot decide when and to whom to impose sanctions. As long as I am president of Serbia, I will not impose sanctions on Russia or other friends," Vucic stated.

He added that while the country is unequivocally on the European path, he will soon discuss with the Russian president how to overcome issues related to sanctions on NIS (Serbia's oil industry).

"We will find the best solution for Serbia, and we will have brotherly and friendly relations with Russia, China, and all our friends. That is the difference, that is our strength, and that is what they want to destroy. Serbia’s strength lies in our independence, in our determination to preserve ourselves, to preserve our roots, but also to protect our future," President Vucic concluded.

Speaking about the idea of forming a new movement, Vucic pointed out that there are many things he is not satisfied with and that he understands the dissatisfaction of some citizens. Responding to jeers from the crowd, he replied:

"You will clean it up, and I will just support it. We’re starting soon."

He called on all citizens to join the new movement.

"This is not about me, nor about Marinika Tepic, nor about Dacic, nor about Djilas. It’s about you. This is all for you, for our future, for what’s to come. That’s why we need changes, new energy, but not a return to the past with those who destroyed the country and want to return to power through manipulation," Vucic emphasized.

He also pointed out that dangerous events are happening in Vojvodina, directly provoked from outside.

"They want to return certain autonomies, to give Vojvodina the status of a republic, thinking that they can separate it from Serbia. Some even advised me from outside to accept this broader autonomy without separating Vojvodina, in order to soften the attacks on me and the government. I just said, ‘If I sacrifice my country for my chair, you are not normal.’ Nothing in the world is more important to me than my country, than Serbia. Am I supposed to give you Vojvodina to stop your destruction on the streets? Try to do whatever you want, but we will not give you Serbia, and we will never give you Serbia," Vucic said.

He also invited students, who called for protests across Serbia today, to talk to him or anyone else, if they didn’t want to talk to him, to tell them what unmet demands they still have.

"We will protect our children and students, my doors are open to them, and to anyone else’s. We are ready for feedback, to hear what demands haven’t been met, but we are not ready for anyone to humiliate Serbia by bringing back those who did the worst to it. We will not allow that," President Vucic concluded.

Dacic: Serbia is as Strong as It is United

The leader of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) and the Minister of the Interior, Ivica Dacic, pointed out that Serbia has experienced tremendous injustices over the past decades.

"Sometimes I wonder how a small country has endured such great injustices. Bombing, the unilateral declaration of Kosovo's independence, attacks on Serbs in the Republic of Srpska, in Krajina... Then I conclude that Serbia is not small. That’s why it should be great by being stable, with peace and brotherhood and unity among the Serbian people and all the citizens of Serbia. We must all stand together in defense of Serbia. That’s why we are here," Dacic stated.

Serbia, he says, is as strong as it is united, and it is weak as much as it is divided.

"We must not be divided within ourselves," Dacic urged.

"We don’t want discord, we want peace, dialogue, and development for all the citizens of Serbia. We will not give up Serbia for anything, and we will make every effort to resist those who want to destroy our national and state interests," Dacic concluded.