“We have two goals for 2026: the first is peace and stability, and the second is the best year in Serbia’s history, primarily related to the economy,” Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said today.
He is speaking today at the annual conference on current socio-political topics, which is being held at the eGovernment House.
- It seems to me that everything we have done and everything we will do can literally be focused and directed toward achieving these two goals. As far as politics is concerned, Serbia will continue its policy of military neutrality, a policy of peace in the region, but in all of this it will adhere to the will of the United Nations, to United Nations resolutions not only regarding Kosovo and Metohija, but also regarding all other crises around the world – Vučić said.
He said that “at the same time we will protect the security of the citizens of Serbia, safeguard our country from a potential aggressor, and do everything to deter them from attacking Serbia.”
“Tensions will rise in other parts of the planet”
- We live in times that are not easy to predict. Times in which, when you wake up, you see that somewhere in the world a new war has broken out, even though there had been no talk of it. Times in which no one can predict whether there will be an end to the conflict in Ukraine, which I doubt will happen soon, although I would like it more than anything in the world; at the same time, I am almost certain that tensions will rise in other parts of our planet. In such times, it is important that, regardless of all the influences we are and will be exposed to, we preserve our stability, preserve peace, and try to improve cooperation with all different actors around the world – he said.
“I had 188 foreign policy activities”
He also reflected on his activities in 2025.
- I had 63 meetings with heads of state, 34 meetings with prime ministers, 34 meetings with heads of international organizations and the European Union, 31 with ministers and speakers of parliaments, and a total of 26 phone calls with heads of state and heads of government. Those are certainly not my only foreign policy activities, and only the most important ones numbered 188. So, more often than every other day during the year – he said.
“We have the lowest crime rate in history”
He said that Serbia has “the lowest crime rate, the lowest rate of criminality, and the lowest total number of committed criminal offenses on the territory of Serbia in history.”
- A total of 64,072 criminal offenses were registered, which is the lowest in the past 25 years since we have been measuring this statistically. Every year since 2013 that number has been decreasing, from 113,000 criminal offenses, to 67,000 in 2024 and 64,000 in 2025. In 2012 we had 58 murders, in 2001 we had 193, and in 2025 only 32 murders. There are 30.4 percent fewer aggravated murders, and 35.5 percent fewer cases of grievous bodily harm. There are fewer attempted murders and attempted aggravated murders by 47.8 percent and 26.7 percent – he said.
He added that “criminal offenses against sexual freedom have increased.”
We will therefore have to devote additional attention to the fight against rapists, and to the fight against those who, in particular, not only femicide murders of women, but attacks on women; we will have to pay special attention to that – he announced.
“Increases in salaries in the army and police to follow”
He announced improvements in equipment for the army and police.
- We held those talks last night until one o’clock. All units will be incomparably better equipped, the gendarmerie, the SAJ, police brigades and, of course, the UKP, SBPOK, especially those working in the field, and I believe people will be satisfied. As for the army, we signed major contracts two days ago, contracts worth billions of euros, not millions of euros – he said.
He announced an additional increase in salaries in the army and police.
- We expect to have an additional increase in their salaries next year as well, so that we do not wait until January 2027. This is a small number of budget users, but for us of exceptional importance in terms of deterrence of danger – he said.
“It’s possible this is my last address as president of Serbia”
He said that this is certainly his penultimate, and possibly his “last annual address as president of the republic.”
- It is very possible that it will be the last – Vučić said.
“I wish all the best to the people of Montenegro”
He also commented on the arrest of Milan Knežević in Montenegro, saying that he has already spoken with him twice today and that he is concerned.
- He is a leader and a Serb, and that is why I expressed concern; I hope everything will be fine. I wish all the best to the people of Montenegro. I will always care, show concern, and be on the side of members of our people and, ultimately, if you will, people who fight for justice – Vučić said.
He said that “this is not about any criminals”
- These are not the Škaljari or Kavčani, or whoever, this is the people. They did not come to smash the premises of the Parliament of Montenegro, the president of Montenegro, or anyone else; they are in front of their homes, in front of their houses. I wish them to overcome all this, and in everything else I will not interfere. I will not interfere even in the daily attacks that exist there, against me and directed against Serbia, and it will not be that no one in power knows anything about it. We know who is doing it, of course, Đukanović is in the thick of it, but we are surprised that some others are doing it as well. But let them continue to do so, we wish them all the best – Vučić said.
“Pristina, Zagreb and Tirana jointly making a ‘shota’”
He said that he will “finish his mandate in peace and stability, and that in the next 50 years no president will receive that many votes, let alone in the first round.”
- Remember my words, I will preserve peace, and I am not preparing for war, I am preparing to preserve peace by deterring those who attack us. And those who are much stronger than us would take advantage of such an opportunity. They are jointly making a ‘shota’ (an alliance of Pristina, Zagreb and Tirana), an armored vehicle. And when we talked about that, everyone laughed – Vučić said, responding to comments that Serbia is preparing for war.
He also spoke about increasing pensions.
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Source: Blic Foto: Amir Hamzagić/Tanjug