Slovenia denies consent for new Serbian ambassador, Vučić awaits notification

(Patria) - Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said he does not know all the details about Slovenia's decision to deny consent for the proposed Serbian ambassador Zoran Đorđević and that Belgrade will wait for formal notification from Ljubljana and react accordingly.

Slovenia denied consent to Serbia's candidate for ambassador to that country, Zoran Đorđević, due to "formal obstacles of a security nature," Serbian media reported, citing the Ljubljana daily Delo, but no further details were provided.

Vučić also spoke about strengthening the Serbian Army, announcing that by September next year, another 10 Airbus H-145 helicopters should arrive, and that the first phase of overhaul for six Mi-35 aircraft will be completed by the end of January, and for the remaining five by the end of summer.

"We will continue strengthening the army regardless of the parades of those who are bothered by a strong Serbia," Vučić said, and for next year he announced "major investments in the army, larger than this year," which he claimed was "record-breaking."

He also announced that the Serbian Army will seek additional recruitment of soldiers.

Commenting on opposition suspicions that the elections scheduled for December 17 will be irregular and rigged, Vučić claimed that the "opposition will lose them and that with such stories they are trying to find an excuse in advance."

"The opposition will lose the elections, all polls show that, and that is why they talk about it to find an alibi for their incompetence," Vučić said.

Although serving as head of state, he has actively engaged in the election campaign, and the Serbian Progressive Party, from whose helm he recently formally stepped down, registered its electoral lists under his name "Aleksandar Vučić - Serbia Must Not Stop."

He said he reads public opinion poll reports daily, which show that the opposition is losing the elections, because "they cannot gain the people's trust with lies," misleading the public "because they are unable to offer anything."