"Serbia in EU with Kosovo - or not at all" - president

"Serbia in EU with Kosovo - or not at all" - president

"Some representatives of the EU are hinting that Serbia's entry into the European community of nations might be conditional on recognizing Kosovo and Metohija. If it really be demanded of us, it means that they do not want us. Serbia, a UN member, wants to enter Europe as a whole - it's either that or nothing. That is the principle Europe was built on and that is a Europe we want. Our ancestors entrusted us with our fatherland Serbia in its entirety and we must keep it that way and preserve it for our descendants unbroken," said Nikolic.

Serbia is committed, by word and deed, to honoring the principles of freedom, understanding and cooperation, accepting differences and keeping the peace in the country, the region and the world, the president said.

He also told those gathered that "we must never forget that a crime has been committed, and forever owe it to the victims to remember them with reverence." Nikolic said that Yugoslavia was the third on the list of countries in Europe that emerged from the Second World War with the greatest number of victims, and that among them a large majority were Serbs - "those who carried arms, and those who died in two German and many Ustasha camps, the only concentration camps in the world specialized for the pogrom of Serb, Roma, and Jewish children."

"With the desire that it never happens again, convinced that there is no villain who would take part in it today, I call on our neighbors to turn toward the future, since Serbia wants to cooperate with all countries in the region," the president said.

Nikolic also stated he was "proud to see the central Victory Day celebration taking place in Zrenjanin, a city that had always been an example of how people of different nationalities could live together in harmony, a symbol of joint resistance to countless enemies and an emblem of perseverance, acceptance of differences, understanding and one of those cities that we could proudly call historical and cultural centers of (the province of) Vojvodina and Serbia." In his address, Nikolic also praised the army and its role over the centuries, saying it was "the institution that citizens trust the most."

"Serbia was made between the two uprisings and was always defending against those stronger than itself, and on the right side," the president said.

The celebration in Zrenjanin today was attended by top state officials, citizens, foreign military representatives, and members of the Serbian Army (VS).

The Defense Ministry announced earlier that 1,300 servicemen would take part in the parade, showing 40 combat and other vehicles, as well as aircraft and vessels.

May 9 is marked as Victory Day over fascism in WW2, and also as Europe Day.