Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said Tuesday that efforts to weaken Serbia had failed and called for strengthening the country’s military and intelligence capabilities, speaking from New Delhi during an official visit to India.
In an op-ed in Indian media, which was praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vučić reflected on the anniversary of Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence, describing it as the opening of a “Pandora’s box of injustice” against sovereign states.
“Powerful actors thought themselves omnipotent, like divine envoys able to dispense justice as they saw fit. In the end, they placed themselves in a position where they suffer the consequences of the same actions we faced 18 or 27 years ago,” Vučić said.
He acknowledged Serbia’s past mistakes, noting the country did not have strong leadership at the time to defend the state.
“Serbia has not been broken. We adhere to international law, UN Security Council Resolution 1244. Today, those in Pristina avoid dialogue with Serbs and Belgrade. They have formed military alliances not for defense but to attack Serbia. We must strengthen all capacities—military, defense, and intelligence,” he added.
Vučić also welcomed India’s refusal to recognize Kosovo and highlighted an upcoming meeting with Modi, his second in India. He praised India’s economic progress, noting that the country has risen from 13th to 5th in global GDP rankings and could soon be third behind the United States and China.
The Serbian president underscored the importance of meetings with a French AI company, highlighting potential healthcare advances and the role of supercomputing. Vučić said Serbia will soon use supercomputers to process MRI results in 14 minutes and will have a third supercomputer operational in Kragujevac by year-end.
On domestic issues, Vučić condemned attacks on Serbian church leaders in Novi Sad, describing them as assaults on Serbia’s traditions, culture, and values. He called for calm and respect toward the church and the state.
“Those responsible have only shown that they decide who is worthy and who is not. It is now a moment for them to recognize that they have been defeated. The people have won,” Vučić said.