Vucic in Trebinje, accuses Croatia and other countries in region of leading military bloc against Serbia

Vucic made the remarks in Trebinje, southeast Bosnia and Herzegovina, on Monday during the opening of a new hospital, though his speech focused largely on geopolitics. He warned of "difficult times" and potential new conflicts in southeast Europe.

He singled out Croatia and its defence cooperation with Kosovo and Albania, saying the bloc was directed "against the Serbian people" and not any other country. Vucic also claimed Croatia was trying to influence Montenegro and bring it into what he described as an anti-Serbian conspiracy.

"Attempts by Zagreb to bring Podgorica under its control and involve it in anti-Serb policies are clear and visible," he said, announcing that Serbia would act as a "deterrent" and significantly strengthen its military capabilities.

Vucic claimed Serbia is the second-fastest in the world in military capacity development and said it would double its capabilities within two years. He linked the alleged conspiracy to domestic protests in Serbia during the past year, insisting he would not be overthrown.

Among other things, Vucic also said that every success of Republika Srpska, Bosnia's Serb-majority entity, is experienced with happiness.

"We love RS and we are not ashamed of it. We belong to the same people. In accordance with all the agreements we have and the Dayton Agreement, we will always preserve our Serbian language, the Cyrillic script, our cultural, economic and all ties," Vucic said in his speech.

Milorad Dodik, recently removed as president of Republika Srpska (RS), the Serb entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina, attended as honorary speaker, praising Vucic and pledging closer ties between RS and Serbia. Montenegrin Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandic also attended, stressing shared foreign policy priorities for Serbia, Montenegro and RS.

The hospital opening coincided with the controversial commemoration of 9 January as RS Day, marking the 1992 unilateral declaration of the Serb Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The holiday remains contentious: victims' groups, including the Mothers of Srebrenica and the Association of Genocide Victims and Witnesses, urged the entity authorities to declare 9 January a day of mourning, noting that numerous rulings by the Hague-based International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) have confirmed the establishment of RS constituted a joint criminal enterprise.

Vucic insists on Trebinje airport plan, seeks approvals from BiH

Vucic also said that Serbia has not abandoned plans to invest in an airport in Trebinje despite environmental concerns and doubts over the project's economic viability.

He told reporters in Trebinje that his government has secured funding for the airport project, estimated at over €200 million, and is now awaiting the necessary permits and approvals from BiH authorities.

He said the airport would benefit the wider region, particularly by providing a direct air link between Belgrade and eastern Herzegovina, but stressed that the main obstacle is not funding, but obtaining official approvals.

The project was first proposed in 2006 and is to be developed by the public company Aerodrom Trebinje, a subsidiary of Aerodrom Srbije based in the southern Serbian city of Niš. The airport would cover around 300 hectares, about 30 kilometres from Dubrovnik.

Dubrovnik's municipal authorities oppose construction, citing a potential impact on the River Ombla, the city's main water source, and call for a full cross-border environmental impact study under the ESPOO Convention, which both BiH and Croatia have signed.

The airport's economic feasibility is also disputed, as the region already has airports in Dubrovnik, Tivat and Mostar, while eastern Herzegovina is sparsely populated and lacks significant tourist infrastructure.