Serbia’s President, Aleksandar Vucic, awarded Austrian Nobel laureate writer Peter Handke the Order of Karadjordje's Star and thanked him for everything that he does for Serbia.

Vucic said he is glad that the Serb people can count on Handke as a friend.

“Our people never needed better ones,” Vucic said, adding that every time he contemplates the troubles of the Serb people in Kosovo, he reaches for one of Handke’s books.

„By accepting our order, the writer does great honour to Serbia and I thank him a lot for that. By awarding this most important order, Serbia shows its gratitude to its academician and friend Handke,” Vucic said, as reported by pink.rs.

Handke said that he was not ready to receive such an important medal and that he was only told that he would meet with the President of Serbia and drink coffee, so he did not prepare any speech.
„When I think of Serbia, I always think of the White Angel of Mileseva. I have one copy at home and whenever I remember Serbia I look at that copy which points to an empty tomb, which shows that Jesus was resurrected, that the tomb is empty. It always makes me think and contemplate. I always remember Serbia fondly, thank you for this order,“ said Handke.