"Resolution won't be adopted, I'm going to Srebrenica" - PM

"Resolution won't be adopted, I'm going to Srebrenica" - PM

"The resolution on Srebrenica has not been adopted by the UN Security Council today (Tuesday). Serbia does not see that as its victory because when it comes to Srebrenica there are no winners. There are only the victims who require our sympathy and respect," the prime minister said.

As he stated, "that big step that requires respect no Security Council has even tried to make."

"This only we can do, Serbs and Bosniaks (Muslims). Srebrenica and any other place of suffering is our Balkan sin and pain where we must live bordered by graves" - said Vucic.

The prime minister then pointed out that Serbia "is not gloating and takes no pleasure from what some are calling a Serbian victory."

"The only thing we wanted comes down to what Confucius said - 'a noble man is ready for reconciliation, but does not humiliate himself, a scoundrel does, but is not ready for reconciliation.' Serbia has never been, nor will ever be a scoundrel in the Balkans," said Vucic.

According to him, "we have shown for the first time" that "no one can trample on Serbia."

"That kind of resolution will not be passed tomorrow (Wednesday), either. It is not a question of possibilities. They cannot pass it," said Vucic.

According to him, Serbia's position "was not good."

"We are no power, we have no influence on global trends, we do not have mentors and sponsors," said Vucic, adding that it is "necessary that everyone, without interference from the sidelines, respects all victims."

The prime minister also stressed that Serbian authorities carried out "countless consultations" with various representatives of Security Council member-countries.

"Our information suggest that the resolution with this kind of text, accusing Serbia and the Serb Republic, will not be adopted by the Security Council unless there is a different text that is nothing like this one," said Vucic.

According to him, "Serbia will be able to avoid what only one tribe from Rwanda did not manage to avoid."

"We would be the only nation in the world accused of carrying out genocide. We are grateful to everyone who helped us - China and Russia and Venezuela and Angola and many others who contacted us and were ready to help," said Vucic.

The prime minister then added that "it's time to show the difference between us and them, and to show that we are ready for reconciliation." "Therefore, we have unanimously decided that I, as the prime minister of Serbia, will represent Serbia in Srebrenica on July 11. Why have we made such a decision? Because we think that we Serbs, who are the much-suffering nation, have an obligation to respect other people's victims. Only in this way will they respect ours," said Vucic.

Vucic also said that he "invites Bakir Izetbegovic" - the Muslim member of the Bosnian presidency - and that he was "ready to together with him visit all the places where Serbs suffered."

"No English people will live here. We and Bosniaks will. I will go to Srebrenica with my head held high, representing Serbia we all love so much and show that we condemn that terrible crime. This act must be greater than any politics," said the prime minister.

As he pointed out, in reference to the fact the draft resolution was tabled by Britain - "the English" failed to answer his question "and find two people" that their draft on Srebrenica had reconciled.

"When the text of the resolution is changed we will change our position, then Russians, too, will change theirs," said Vucic. "No need for others to be reconciling us by throwing us our own bones to fight over," he remarked.

The prime minister pointed out that "every crime has a name," and that there was "no collective guilt of Serbs, Croats, or Bosniaks."

"This is the only way to live together and abolish all phrases and platitudes about hatred. The resolution has only brought about new divisions, returning us to the trenches of hatred," said Vucic.

He then quoted Gandhi as saying that "we're not on the road of peace, peace is our road."

"Serbia is not ready to be humiliated and I as president of the government will not allow it," said he.

When asked by reporters who had given guarantees that the British resolution will not be adopted, Vucic said that he "spoke with Russia's top leadership," and that "messages have been exchanged with representatives of the Chinese state."

"We acted seriously and responsibly. The reaction of others speaks for itself. I personally received the guarantees. We asked nothing of Moscow. They are a great power, we are small, we never traded, nor did they ask anything from us. Russia acted in accordance with the principles that guide her," Vucic said.

When a reporter noted that the European Parliament will soon vote on Srebrenica, Vucic said, "this is about a coordinated action on all levels."

"It was one of the ways to divert our attention. The text of the Liberals is terrible, there's a blatant lie in it, while the text of the Socialists is a bit better, "said the prime minister.

According to him, he "spoke with at least ten prime ministers."

"I spoke with Davatoglu, Rama, Izetbegovic and many others. That's my job, we did not announce it anywhere. I'm working on positioning Serbia better and I want better relations in the region," concluded Vucic.