The Slovenian Foreign Ministry categorically denied Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić's claims that he had been invited to the Bled Strategic Forum, BGNES reported.

Vučić said on Wednesday, September 3, that he had no hesitation about whether to attend the Bled Strategic Forum (BSF) in Slovenia or China, as he preferred to attend the military parade in Beijing rather than the BSF, which he said was attended by "blockaders" who "organize protests" in Serbia.

The Slovenian Foreign Ministry explained to N1 Slovenia that the Serbian president and Serbian prime minister had not even received an invitation to the SBF this year, but according to unofficial information, the Serbian president had requested one from the Slovenian authorities.

The media also published a letter that the Serbian president sent to the President of the European Commission on August 21, asking her to "carefully consider" the events in Serbia, after which he traveled to China. Serbia is a candidate for EU membership.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić attended a large military parade in Beijing on September 3 and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un also attended the event.

Earlier this week, the Bled Strategic Forum (BSF) was held, but Vučić was not there. He said that there was "no dilemma" about which event to attend and stressed that he "did not want to deal with nonsense."

"I did not go to Bled, (Serbian Prime Minister Džuro, ed.) Matsut was invited and he wisely and correctly did not go. They invited the blockade organizers to Bled to talk to them," Vučić said, adding that it was impossible to compare the meetings he could have had in Bled with those he had in China.

"To compare my talks with Plenković (Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković) and anyone else... I've heard enough nonsense. But to compare this with meetings with (Chinese President) Xi, Putin, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico - that's like comparing the Premier League with the Belgrade city league," he said.

However, as the Slovenian Foreign Ministry told N1, neither Vučić nor Mačut were invited to the WSF. Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić was invited, however, and he also attended the forum.

According to unofficial information from N1, Vučić asked the Slovenian authorities for an invitation to the forum but did not receive one.

Even before the SFB and the parade in Beijing, on August 21, the Serbian president wrote a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, asking for help in regulating the situation in Serbia. He also attached visual materials to the letter.

"Over the past nine months, Serbia has faced more than 23,000 unregistered rallies. What began as student-led protests has unfortunately turned into mass blockades and ultimately violent incidents led by extremist groups," Vučić wrote.

He stressed that the Serbian police had acted with maximum restraint, ensuring public order and avoiding the systematic use of force.

"However, as participation in the protests declined, some opposition elements escalated their tactics to organized violence, including attacks on police officers, public buildings, and private property. More than 170 police officers were injured while performing their duty to protect citizens—a responsibility that is fundamental to any democratic state," the Serbian president told the EC president.

"We are increasingly concerned about the spread of manipulative narratives and disinformation that attempt to portray violent incidents as peaceful demonstrations and the legitimate actions of law enforcement agencies as repression," the Serbian president continued, adding that "some media outlets and non-governmental organizations are unfortunately getting involved in political disputes, often spreading unverified accusations that undermine institutions and reduce public trust."

Vucic also stated in his letter that Serbia remains fully committed to its European path, democratic values, and the rule of law.

"Our priority is dialogue, stability, and constructive cooperation with our European partners. However, attempts to destabilise our country through violence and disinformation pose a risk not only to Serbia but also to the stability of the wider Western Balkans region," he stressed, calling on European partners to "carefully consider these events".

Just a few days after calling on "European partners" to consider the events in Serbia, he traveled to Beijing at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping for a military parade, which was also attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, as well as Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. On the sidelines of the events in Beijing, as already mentioned, he also held bilateral talks with the Russian president. | BGNES