President of the Democratic Party (DS) Boris Tadic called on DS officials on Saturday to support the realization of a plan for modern and economically developed Serbia in the next decade.

“Serbia has not yet exited the economic crisis, but we can see a way out, and therefore we need your support for the plan which is to be realized by 2020 addressing all segments of the society,” Tadic said at the DS Election Convention in Belgrade.

Serbia can become an EU member in 2016 provided all preconditions envisaged by the plan for the next decade are fulfilled, Tadic said, stressing that if we miss this opportunity, Serbia will not be awarded the EU candidate status before 2020, but in that case it will be a country that lags behind.

“If this happens, Belgrade will no longer be called the city of future or Serbia the leader in the region which will have certain consequences for the entire state,” the DS leader said.

Tadic underscored that Serbia must not come to a standstill, adding that for that reason the democrats have designed an economic plan. “I urge you first to support this plan, and then I will ask the same thing from all others,” Tadic said, adding that this is why he would like to have one more mandate as the DS president.

President of the Democratic Party (DS) and the only candidate for the leader of the democrats at the 14th DS Election Convention Boris Tadic stated on Saturday that 2011 will not be an election year but rather a working one.

Presenting a report on the party's work since the last Election Convention, Tadic stated that the goals of the DS are for Serbia to get an EU candidate status in 2011 and open talks on accession by the next elections, and for the DS to win the elections in the spring of 2012.

“We will win the election not for the DS but rather for Serbia, its citizens, all minorities who live in the country, the region and our shared European future,” stated Tadic, who is also the president of the Republic of Serbia.