FM advises "reshuffle of small-town mindset"

FM advises "reshuffle of small-town mindset"

Dacic, whose Socialist Party (SPS) is a junior partner, said on Wednesday he believed that a cabinet reshuffle was needed, "but in the form of a reshuffle of the small-town mindset."

The foreign minister addressed reporters after a meeting with his Portuguese counterpart in Belgrade to say that he was the OSCE chairperson because he was Serbia's foreign minister.

"That has nothing to do with government reshuffles, and it's not necessary for anyone to be protected in that way, " he stated, and added:

"Those who write that want me to be replaced, and they are provoking Vucic."

According to Dacic, when he joined the current government in 2014, he did so "not because of the OSCE, but to, together with Premier Aleksandar Vucic, continue the policy we conducted during the previous two years in power."

Commenting on the crash of a military helicopter in Belgrade last week that killed seven people, Dacic said:

"When it comes to the tragedy and the loss of lives, it's important this is not abused for political showdowns or for scoring political points."

He noted that while serving as interior minister, prior to becoming prime minister in 2012, he "flew in helicopters."

"There's no such situation when a pilot will take off or land because they received an order, it is done only according to their assessments. There are traces of everything that was happening," Dacic said of the circumstances of the crash.

Asked whether he would, if he still served as prime minister, sack the two ministers whose resignation has been urged in the wake of the accident, Dacic said there was "no such institution as asking somebody to resign anywhere."

According to him, submitting a resignation is a "personal act" which is made "when someone is responsible."

"I'm yet to see anyone's responsibility determined. There should be full support for the state organs to investigate the facts and the circumstances."

"Helicopters and airplanes crashed in the past as well. If you didn't ask for ministers to resign then, why would you do it now. But, I don't want to leave any room for manipulations. There are commissions. There are no taboo-topics in Serbia, but the way these topics are treated demands a dignified approach" - said Dacic.