[ad_1]
The day began at 1 pm in the building of the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic.
THREE MAIN GOALS OF SERBIA IN 2021
– Today I will talk about the plans and program for 2021, and I will make a brief summary of everything we did in 2020. Our priority interest for next year is to preserve peace and stability in Serbia and our country, but also our vital interests, President Vučić said, noting that accomplishing that task will not be easy due to changing circumstances in the world.
– When we talk about what is the second most important objective, it is of course the health of citizens, victory over the crown and how to improve our health system.
The president affirmed that the third objective is to continue improving the standard of living, through the level of salaries, pensions, investments in cleaner air, better roads, railways and the construction of the gas pipeline network.
– They are also a stronger army and police, everything that contributes to the strengthening of a state. Our plans are ambitious and big, regardless of the seriousness of the current situation – said the president.
ECONOMIC PROGRESS AND INCREASE IN WAGES
– We hope to finish next year with a growth rate of 6 percent, without the level of public debt exceeding 60 percent. We must not leave debts and burdens on our children, but we must do business at home – said Vučić.
He pointed out that the goal is for the average salary to be 560-570 euros by the end of the year, while in Belgrade it would be around 700 euros. Vučić recalled that the five percent salary increases for health workers, and then for military personnel, will begin on January 1.
Photo: Tanjug / Rade Prelić
Vučić illustrated how much the wages of medical workers have already increased, noting that in the past decade, the wages of nurses increased by 63.4 percent.
– As far as pensions are concerned, the goal is to be around 270 euros before the end of the year, and the goal is to continue increasing benefits for the elderly – said the president.
Vučić pointed out that it is important to complete the reform and launch large strategic companies somewhere, as well as continue investing in agriculture.
– In 2020, Serbia is the fastest growing country in Europe. And the worst variant, -1 percent, is the best result in Europe. I am proud to be the president of the country with such results – said the president, adding:
– We continue with European integrations, but we will maintain friendship with Russia and China. I know it is not easy for us, but we will also have to build friendships with the United States. We continue with the winning policy, in which Serbia is in first place, policy whereby Serbia will be among the top three countries in Europe in terms of growth rate in the next two years.
NEW HOSPITALS AND VACCINES
Vučić recalled that two new covid hospitals had been opened and that the renovation and construction of health facilities throughout Serbia would continue, noting the new wing of the Infectious Diseases Clinic and KCV.
– We will also perform the best possible immunization, we have all the capabilities. We expect about 76-77 thousand “Pfizer” vaccines in January, and they will arrive every week. That will be enough for the residents of the nursing homes, and I hope that we will immunize the workers of the covid centers and hospitals by the end of January – said the president, saying that he hopes that the Russian vaccine will reach Serbia.
– We are negotiating with some western manufacturers, but also with the Chinese, and I hope that they will soon register their vaccines, so that we can buy them on the market.
The president said that we are convincingly the first in the region in terms of hospitalization per 100,000 inhabitants, and that is precisely why we have a low mortality rate.
Photo: Novosti
– I am proud of the fact that we did not lack respirators and medicines. We found and bought everything we needed. I am convinced that we will continue in the next period as far as vaccination is concerned. Nobody in the Western Balkans has vaccines, they will only have them in January.
ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE
– We are currently building 4 roads, and I hope that next year we will complete the Čačak-Požega section, which is the most important road and one of the most difficult sections – said Vučić.
The President also noted that the construction of the Moravian Corridor is progressing, and that it is of great importance to our country.
– We also plan to build a road to Sarajevo, which will mean a lot to everyone in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. I hope that next year we will finish the Belgrade-Novi Sad railway, which will be able to travel at 200 kilometers per hour. We will also sign a contract for the Požega-Boljare railway. These are fantastic things and I hope the Road Institute will present the documentation for the Pozarevac-Donji Milanovac motorway.
Photo: Tanjug / Rade Prelić
Vučić stated that we are finishing the construction of Balkan Stream and that secondary gas pipeline networks will be built to Vranje and Valjevo, although investors have fled from that.
EDUCATION AND SPORTS
The President affirmed that the work in dual education continues and highlighted the importance of this project, but also digitization.
– In the next 2 years, only 24 kindergartens will be built in Belgrade – noted Vučić.
– It is very important that we continue to invest in smaller sports in sports and that we continue to dominate in big sports. So far we have not had great results in football and handball, we have dominated the others. He will have to invest much more in sports – said Vučić.
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FROM JOURNALISTS
President Vučić responded to the attacks of Meljiza Haradinaj Stuble, the so-called Minister of Foreign Affairs. Kosovo, which accused Serbia of not respecting the Brussels agreement when vaccinating in Kosovo and Metohija.
– Not to answer any more nonsense. Show me that point of the Brussels agreement. Of course, we have not violated anything, and no one intelligent can break in and take drugs. Their announcements that they would break into the center of Leposavić and steal the medicine, so our people moved around overnight. We have to deal with it. We have fulfilled everything since the Brussels agreement, and they have not fulfilled any – said the president.
When asked how satisfied he was with the government’s work, Vučić said he was satisfied with many ministers, while some officials showed a lack of enthusiasm.
Photo: Tanjug / Rade Prelić
The president then revealed which are the three best things of the previous year in his opinion, and which are the three worst.
– I am happy with the construction of new hospitals, Batajnica and Krusevac, I am very happy and it was worth it. The second place is the Preljina-Požega section and the Belgrade-Novi Sad railway. And third, the progress of the works in Belgrade on the water, as well as the start of the construction of the metro. Also, the fact that Serbia is the first in terms of growth rate is a huge result – said the president, and then he said what was the worst of the previous year.
– Corona virus, we lost a lot of people, good people. Corona, because our economic performance would be even better if it weren’t for the epidemic. Crown, because we ruin the normal lives of both our old and young. To the old people who we tied to the house, and to the young people who did not have a free and normal life.
When asked about the dialogue with the opposition, Vučić said that he was the president and concerned himself with important issues, as well as that there was no point talking to someone who compared him to Hitler.
– Unlike them, I support Serbia and will continue to fight for it. They support the crown, not the doctors. It is as if they do not see what is happening in other countries, and you hear them give lessons and lectures to Serbia.
When questioned by journalists about when “Pfizer” will receive new shipments of vaccines, it replied that it will arrive on January 4, 11, 18 and 25.
– We will also negotiate with “Moderna”, “Johnson and Johnson”, but also with “Sinovak”. We hope that Oliver Verhelji will help us and that we will obtain EU vaccines through the “Kovaks” program.
Then the president said that he was in favor of better relations with Montenegro, but that we must always keep our state interests in mind.
– We do not interfere in the affairs of other countries, we do not interfere in the work of your government. What concerns us is your relationship with us. We hoped they would change the decision to expel Ambassador Bozovic. Many expected them to change their attitude towards Kosovo, honestly, I did not expect it. We will build fraternal relations with everyone in Montenegro and with all the governments of that country, of course respecting our interests. I saw many heroes in the region and in Serbia with stories about Kosovo, and in the end I was the only one left who does not recognize the independence of Kosovo – said the president.
Follow us through iOS and Android apps
[ad_2]
