BELGRADE, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Progressive Party of Serbia (SNS) has managed to take the country out of depression and created a basis to pursue accelerated growth in the future, President of Serbia and the ruling party Aleksandar Vucic estimated at the party's 10th anniversary marked in the city of Kraljevo on Sunday, highlighting Serbia's attachment to European integration, and furthering good relations with Russia and China.
Speaking in front of thousands of people in a sporting hall in Kraljevo, Vucic reminded that the "Progressive party was born in the height of the worst political crisis and rising economic misery that the country ever faced with".
"We took Serbia out of depression and brought to recovery. We set the basis for the stability and recovery. From now on we should move on from recovery towards accelerated growth. The world is changing, and Serbia must not lag behind," he said, according to public broadcaster RTS.
He said that the party brought back dignity to the people by creating a firm policy towards the region, as well as that besides pursuing European integration, the country strives to "maintain and improve further the friendly and the best possible relations with China and Russia".
Among the guests were Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Li Manchang and Tomislav Nikolic, president of the National Council for cooperation with Russia and China.
Li, who spoke as a special envoy of the Communist Party of China, said that Progressives, as the biggest political party in Serbia under the leadership of Vucic, play an "immensely important role" by setting development of the country and people's interests as their priorities, by taking responsibility and initiating ideas, as well as by promoting economic and social growth and improving living standard.
"In ten years since your establishment, excellent results have been achieved. Progressive party has become the most influential political party in the region... Currently the relations between Serbia and China are in the best phase of development ever," Li said, pointing to Serbia's participation in the Belt and Road Initiative, 16+1 cooperation platform, as well as numerous joint projects of the two countries and their companies.
Progressive party of Serbia was founded in October 2008 with Tomislav Nikolic as president. It became the country's ruling party after 2012 parliamentary elections. Nikolic stepped down as the president of the party upon election as the President of Serbia in 2012, while Vucic was elected as new party president.
In his speech at the party anniversary, Vucic announced extraordinary assembly to be held next year in order to elect new party leadership, warning that officials who did not produce results will be replaced with new ones that will "be more capable to defend interests of the party and Serbia".
