Vučić at the Summit for Democracy VIDEO / PHOTO

Vučić at the Summit for Democracy VIDEO / PHOTO

Vučić participated in the Summit via a video link from 2 p.m., Office for Media relations of the President of the Republic of Serbia announced.

"Serbia will be a consistent and reliable partner of the USA in the future", Vucic pointed out. "Dear President Biden, dear Heads of State and Government, ladies and gentlemen, it is a special honor and pleasure for me to have the opportunity to address you today at an event that I consider extremely important for further strengthening democratic values at the global level," he said.

"It is very positive that the United States recognized the importance of organizing such a summit, which glorifies democratic values ​​at a time when democracy in many parts of the world is under threat," Vucic said.

"Our country is continuously working to strengthen a democratic society in which all citizens have equal rights and opportunities to develop their potential and participate in all aspects of social, cultural, political and economic life. We are committed to fighting corruption, strengthening human rights and focusing on achieving concrete results in this area, both at the domestic and foreign policy levels", he said.

"Serbia is fully committed to European values, democratic principles and the rule of law. Full membership in the European Union is our key foreign policy priority and therefore we are making continuous efforts in our process of joining the European Union, which includes the adoption of European best practices and examples, rule of law and the fight against corruption. In addition, we are preparing for the upcoming elections in the spring to ensure that the voice of the people is heard. We have re-established a working group for elections, mediated by the EU, and amended laws to ensure that political parties feel equal", he continued.

"In the previous period, we paid special attention to achieving better overall relations and cooperation in the region. Strengthening contacts and better infrastructural connections are the starting point for a better quality of life, which facilitates dialogue on respect for democratic values. "Open Balkans", I am fully convinced, by promoting the four freedoms of movement - people, goods, capital and services, creates conditions for strengthening all democratic values. Our guiding principle is that no one should be left out in the exercise of fundamental rights and freedoms. Therefore, let me express my conviction that the Democracy Summit is a real opportunity to point out the need for equal treatment of all peoples and religious groups in the region in order to further strengthen stability in this part of Europe, which is a precondition for creating an even more prosperous, future", Vucic said.

"Serbia has shown its contribution to the rule of law and the strengthening of the democratic process through the results and transparent approach achieved at the national level in the fight against corruption and in strengthening the rule of law," Vucic said.

"Let me also point out that our country is equally committed to respecting minority rights, which we are especially proud of. In that sense, we remind you that our system of protection of minorities has received the highest praise from a number of impartial international sources. The Government of the Republic of Serbia is headed by the Prime Minister and is made up of almost 50% women. There are over 70 heads of city and municipal administrations in the judiciary. 69% of women, and in the courts of special jurisdiction that percentage is 76.3% ", he pointed out and continued:

"I use this opportunity to announce a new initiative, which I believe is supported by other leaders in the Western Balkans. Together we must accelerate Roma inclusion. We must invest in Roma who are demographically active, rich in entrepreneurship and multilingual community, which was the most excluded from the course of progress and most severely affected during COVID-19", he said.

"By any abuse of democratic principles, we are only deceiving ourselves and endangering our own well-being. This is what the current pandemic has pointed out, reminding us that no one is immune to global threats and that we must show that democracies are able to cope with these common challenges, as well as to bring concrete results for our citizens. Serbia is ready to be a consistent and reliable partner with this regard in the future. Thank you for your attention", concluded Vučić.

More than 100 countries have been invited to the virtual Summit for Democracy, and the main topics in two days will be strengthening democracies, defending against authoritarianism, solving corruption problems and promoting human rights.

The summit is part of Biden's pre-election promise to strengthen democracies around the world at a time when autocratic governments are strengthening, the text adds.

111 world leaders took part in the summit.

He shared the moments from the conference on his account "buducnostsrbijeav" on Instagram.