Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic declared his victory on Sunday in the first round of the presidential elections, securing another five-year term.

According to preliminary results of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) revealed by Vucic, he won between 59 and 61 percent vote in the elections, while the coalition around the ruling SNS won 44 percent of parliamentary elections.

"I believe that we are facing numerous challenges but that the most important thing for Serbia is to have good relations in the region, to continue on the European path but not to lose traditional friendships," Vucic said in a speech at his party's headquarters.

Vucic thanked his coalition partners from the previous government, including the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) and the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM), announcing the possibility of further partnership.

He said his results were based on the counted votes from 85 percent of polling stations. The Serbian Republic Electoral Commission (RIK) announced that it will publish preliminary results on Monday.

Around 6.5 million registered voters cast ballots on Sunday to choose between eight presidential candidates and 19 parties or coalitions for the parliament.

(Cover: Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (C) attends a press conference at the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) headquarters in Belgrade, Serbia, on April 3, 2022. /Xinhua)