"In the possible continuation of dialogue with Pristina, Belgrade will have the same platform"

Photo: Tanjug/Tanja Valic

Belgrade is de facto negotiating on Kosovo with the West, and not with the Albanians, said President Aleksandar Vucic and stressed that our side will have the same platform as before in the possible continuation of the dialogue with Pristina, but also that he does not see any solution right now.

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Asked if he is under pressure, considering the Paris summit on Kosovo and Metohija has been announced, and over possible scenarios for the continuation of the dialogue, as well as what Belgrade's platform would be, Vucic said that Serbia is protecting its national and state interests, understanding the gravity of our position and fighting not to be blamed for the lack of dialogue.

Vucic says that our side will behave in accordance with that in relations with everyone we talk to.

"It's clear that we are de facto talking and negotiating with the West, not with the Albanians," said Vucic, and added that he has been under pressure for seven years that a binding agreement would supposedly be signed by the end of the year.

Asked if he sees a solution in sight, Vucic replied that he does not.

"When I saw it, everyone jumped on my neck, in the country and abroad, they struck with all their might... I just didn't hear any other suggestion. But, to recognize an independent Kosovo so that the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija have nothing - feel free to forget about that."

He also said that indictments against Hashim Thaci and Kadri Veseli and possible changes at the helm of the Pristina negotiating team have nothing to do with the future of the dialogue.

Foto: Tanjug/Rade Prelić

"How am I an experienced negotiator? I am a little man from the Balkans, I don't manage to answer to all the greats, such as Hoti and Thaci, not to mention the European ones. They are all much bigger and more important than us. They have the support of America and Germany," said Vucic.

People must understand, he said, that while some in the region are free to arrest families and abolish churches just because they are in NATO, "Serbia will always be a bone in the throat and a pebble in the shoe, for those who cannot stand a freedom-loving country."

"We don't want to arrest political leaders and opponents. We let them enter RTS (national broadcaster), they also beat the police and we let them because we do not want the case of Ranko Panic to happen again. We made the cleanest choices possible. They did not say that Bogdanovic became the mayor of Belgrade although the turnout was 34 percent. Of course, we have a lot to correct and we will work on that. But when we open a large number of (EU) chapters, you will see how democracy will flourish in Serbia, even though it will be at the same or similar level as today. We managed to overtake everyone in the Western Balkans in the last five years, Bosnia-Herzegovina and North Macedonia and Montenegro. The growth rate is higher, the public debt rate is lower, not to mention higher salaries. But the easiest thing to say that the dictator is to blame for everything, when they can't get a sufficient number of votes," Vucic underlined.

(Telegraf.rs)