Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic stated on Thursday that he wants to see Serbia united in a better future, free of fear from the coming times, as a EU member but he added that Serbia will never renounce sovereignty over Kosovo-Metohija.

After signing the oath and takeover of takeover of presidential responsibilities, Nikolic told MPs that he would act as their associate if they fight for citizens and their better life. “If you fight for the people, I will back you by the power invested in me by the Constitution,” Nikolic said.

In his address after the oath, Nikolic expressed gratitude to citizens for appointing him, especially to those who have been supporting him for two decades now. He warned that Serbia is a country which is being destroyed by the crisis and a country whose citizens lost their confidence in institutions due to the unprofessionally carried out privatisation, corruption and overall plunder.

Nikolic said that he wants a different Serbia. If you fight for the people, I will help you as much as the Constitution allows, the new Serbian president said and added that he was often a victim of injustice and he would not stop fighting until Serbia becomes a legal and genuine democratic country.

Tomislav Nikolic signed the oath at the special session of the Serbian parliament and his five-year mandate as the Serbian president thus began.

After the intonation of the national anthem, Nikolic signed the oath and session chairman Zaharije Trnavcevic congratulated him on the beginning of office.

The session started some time after 2pm and new MPs and president were welcomed at the entrance to the House of the National Assembly by the honorary unit of the Serbian Armed Forces.

Nikolic was sworn in before MPs, saying: “I vow to be thoroughly committed to preserving the sovereignty and integrity of the territory of the Republic of Serbia, including Kosovo and Metohija as its integral part, to honor human and minority rights and freedoms, to respect and defend the Constitution and laws, to maintain peace and well-being of all the citizens of the Republic of Serbia and to perform all my duties in an honest and conscientious manner.”