Vučić: The EU left the Balkan countries in the lurch, the Balkan peoples should help each other

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, said today in Sarajevo that the situation regarding the procurement of vaccines against the coronavirus showed that the countries of the Balkans have been left in the lurch by the European Union and that the Balkan nations should cooperate and help each other.

Vučič said that today Serbia donated ten thousand doses of Astrazeneca vaccine to Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are intended for the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that it is up to the authorities of that entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina to decide how to distribute them.

"I will be happy if we save ten, twenty lives by donating these vaccines, that's a big deal," Vućić told reporters at the Sarajevo airport.

Stating that he is aware that there will be many negative comments regarding the donation of vaccines to BiH, Vučić assessed that it is a matter of mutual trust and the need for neighboring countries to rely on each other when help from much more powerful countries has not already arrived.

Responding to the comments that have already appeared that Serbia donated "cheap vaccines" to BiH, Vučič said that Astrazeneca's vaccines are good, and that Serbia has at its disposal four more types that it can donate to BiH.

"I came to tell you - these are vaccines for the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, because I see that some have objections, whatever vaccine you want, we will deliver it to you. Now we have ordered Moderna, we will have five types of vaccines. Whatever the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina want, we will deliver to you," said Vučić.

He added that it is necessary for BiH and Serbia, as well as other countries in the region, to "speak with one voice to the world and to Brussels". "Together we can go much faster if we cooperate and create trust in each other," said Vučić.

The President of Serbia further said that he has initiated a major economic summit to be held in Belgrade in a few months to discuss the improvement of cooperation, better permeability of borders for goods in order to increase foreign trade exchange between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.

Vučić pointed out that with better economic cooperation, Serbia and BiH can have a much higher rate of economic growth, and that together they can move forward faster to become developed countries if they trust and create trust in each other. "That will be Serbia's policy," said Vučić.

"Serbia acts as a friend, we are not thinking about dominating the region"

Vučić rejected allegations that by donating vaccines to BiH, Serbia is trying to impose dominance in the region.

Answering questions from journalists in Sarajevo, Vučić said that Serbia behaves "as usual, as a neighbor and as a friend".

"We don't ask for gratitude, and it doesn't even occur to me to do the work of the EU, I'm just fed up with empty stories when some people do one thing - that's wonderful, but when others do the same thing, then it's no use. And we in Serbia and you in Bosnia and Herzegovina we hoped for vaccines from the EU and we did not receive them, neither in Belgrade nor in Sarajevo. We will thank you in March or April when we receive the first vaccines through the Kovaks program," said Vučić.

Commenting on the statements of BiH Foreign Minister Bisera Turković that the AstraZeneca vaccine donated by Serbia to Sarajevo is the cheapest on the market, Vučić said that he offered that country to choose any vaccine that Serbia currently has.

"I don't think that the problem is the AstraZeneca vaccine, because it is excellent, but whenever it comes to Serbia or Aleksandar Vučić, there must be 500 side things that someone will say on the way to say that our intentions were different. What kind of intentions do I have in Sarajevo, what kind of dominance? When they don't know what to say, people can say anything," said Vučić.

Vučić added that AstraZeneca's donation of vaccines against the coronavirus to Bosnia and Herzegovina does not represent any political "slaps" to the leadership of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but that Serbia has ceded the vaccines it fought for.

He said that Serbia got vaccines against the coronavirus by not listening to everything that was said from Brussels.

"We had an advantage, we were able to act outside the established schemes," said Vučić and added that he does not think that it is a "defeat" for the BiH leadership that it receives the first vaccines against the coronavirus from Serbia.

Vučić said that for Serbia "it will not be a defeat when Bosnia and Herzegovina offers wood or any product", and that Serbia will "reluctantly accept it".

He added that the members of the BiH Presidency were not late for today's meeting, as reported by some journalists, but that he arrived earlier than expected.

"I don't think we are close to a state of emergency, but discipline is needed"

Vučić said today that he does not think that the country is close to a state of emergency due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, but that everyone needs to be more disciplined.

"But let me not speculate, the Government will decide. We are all behaving irresponsibly, but people are fed up. They have to work. Our economies have to work," Vučić told reporters in Sarajevo.

He said that he will "ask" Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, Minister of Finance Siniša Malog and Minister of Health Zlatibor Lončar to build another covid hospital in the vicinity of Novi Sad, in order to increase the capacity to fight against the coronavirus.

"We test a lot of people and that's why we have a somewhat lower mortality rate, as well as because we hospitalize a large number of people. But also thanks to vaccination," said Vučić.

He reminded that more than a million people have been vaccinated in Serbia so far and about 530.000 people have been revaccinated, and that by the end of the week about half a million new doses will arrive, which will facilitate the continuation of vaccination.