Society

Serbia Blasts EU’s Lack of Solidarity,turns to China

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, before the meeting at the Great Hall of People in Beijing, China on April 25, 2019. (Kenzaburo Fukuhara/POOL/Kyodonews)

Chinese Ambassador to Serbia, Chen Bo, informed Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić that Beijing had approved a donation and decided to send experts to help Serbia fight the coronavirus pandemic. EURACTIV Serbia reports.

Vučić said Serbia was not yet in the same crisis as EU countries when it comes to the coronavirus but that it would soon happen.

“Serbia now turns its eyes to China,” Vučić said.

“To avoid that worst-case scenario, we need your help and support. That is why I am asking that you send us anything you can. Money is not a problem, we need everything, from masks, gloves to ventilators, literally everything, and most of all we need your knowledge and people who would be willing to come here and help,” Vučić said.

“All my personal hopes are focused on and directed toward China and its president,” he said, emphasising that Serbia was not asking for money.

The ambassador said that “ordinary citizens” in China had reacted very positively to Vučić’s call for help, and that more than 300 million people had watched a video recording of his statement.

“We are waiting for our Chinese brothers here. Without you, it turns out that Europe is having difficulty defending itself, we do not hide the fact that we cannot [defend ourselves]. Without China and our Chinese brothers, we are incapable of doing so,” Vučić said.

The first batch of Chinese aid in the struggle against the novel virus has already arrived in Serbia, and comprises COVID-19 test kits donated by the Mammoth Foundation, a humanitarian organisation based in Shenzhen.

The aid operation was coordinated by the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in collaboration with the Serbian government. The number of test kits delivered was not specified.

The Serbian president said earlier that Belgrade had requested aid in medical supplies and staff from China. This had become all the more urgent since the European Commission decided to limit exports of medical equipment outside of Europe.

Vučić further said that he had guaranteed Serbia’s “centennial and strong as steel friendship” to the Chinese president.

“European solidarity does not exist. That was a fairy tale on paper. I have sent a special letter to the only ones who can help, and that is China…,” Vučić said , the day when a state of emergency was declared in Serbia due to the coronavirus.

The president said at the time that many Western governments had pressed Serbia to change its tender procedures in order to reduce imports of Chinese goods and import from Europe instead. But now the same governments do not want to help Serbia even in exchange for money, he said.