Vucic: I presented facts about breakup of Yugoslavia

SABAC - Responding to criticism by some media outlets that he insulted the European community in Sunday's speech commemorating the victims of Croatia's August 1995 'Operation Storm,' Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday he had spoken the truth and that he had no influence on whether someone was insulted by it or not.

It is a fact that someone recognised the breakup of Yugoslavia and the secession of Slovenia and Croatia from Yugoslavia, Vucic said, noting that the move had been "unlawful because Yugoslavia was the only entity recognised under international law."

"Is it a fact that then they also recognsed Bosnia and Herzegovina - again, without asking the Serbs? Is it a fact that, after that, once we accepted all that and created the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, they broke up the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, too? Facts. Is it a fact that, after they told us that the borders of the (former Yugoslav) republics are state borders, they crushed the borders of our republic and agreed a secession of Kosovo-Metohija? Is it a fact that they bombed this country due to that?" Vucic told reporters during a visit to the construction site of an expressway near Sabac, western Serbia.

"They are insulted, and we are not," Vucic said, noting that there were no two sides to the truth, but only one truth.

"And this is the truth. Do I need to talk about the Brussels Agreement, about what we have had to do - or otherwise face the toughest sanctions - and about what someone else has never had to do?" he added.

It is important that we have had enough time to rebuild Serbia, he said.

"Kosovo is Serbia - I am not ashamed of saying that openly anywhere. What can I do about whether someone is insulted or not?" Vucic said.

Asked to comment on claims by Pristina's PM Albin Kurti that Serbia was making efforts to "destabilise" the so-called Kosovo, Vucic noted that Belgrade was working on stabilisation in the region.

"But Serbia is no longer the punching bag they have been imagining," Vucic said.