Vucic receives group of Serb children from region

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received a group of Serb children from countries in the region on Monday.

"I am very grateful to you for being here at the Presidency of Serbia. You are not guests here - whenever you are in Belgrade and in Serbia, you are not guests, you are at home. You will always be welcomed with open arms. I call on you to come to Belgrade always and as often as possible, and to always know that we Serbs are one people whatever part of the world we may live in, and that, most importantly for us, we are preserving our language, our alphabet and our culture and looking after each other and after our future," Vucic said.

He said the majority of the children in the group came from Vukovar, Bobota, Borovo, Trpinja and Negoslavci (Croatia) and, to a smaller extent, from Drvar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Postojna and Koper (Slovenia).

"My only plea to you is that you play and learn, and learn the Cyrillic alphabet along with all other alphabets and that you love your Serbia, and we will be looking to always help you and stand with you as much as we can, as much as you and your parents have always stood with your Serbia, and I would say we cannot imagine greater love," Vucic said.

He said the children had told him the Church of St Sava in Belgrade was the most beautiful landmark they had visited during a tour of the city.

The first of six summer camps that will welcome 800 Serb children from the region - North Macedonia, Romania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia - until August 29 opened in Belgrade on Sunday.

The children's stay in Belgrade will include visits to the National Museum, the Nikola Tesla Museum, the Museum of Illusions, the Church of St Sava, Ada Ciganlija, Mt Avala, the National Assembly, the Museum of Yugoslavia, the Jevremovac Botanical Garden and two football clubs - Red Star and Partizan.