Vucic on the anniversary of the Brussels Agreement: Thirteen years of lies, they do not want to establish the CSM

President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic stated, on the occasion of the 13th anniversary of the Brussels Agreement, that 19 April 2013 was not easy, but a day full of compromises in almost impossible conditions, but that this document was the least bad that could be obtained at that moment. In an interview for Kosovo Online, 13 years later, he points out that even then, as today, he was looking to the future, wanted good relations with Albanians and believed that their only goal was not just to expel Serbs, but that they wanted peace and stability, but, he says, he was mistaken, because they did not want that either, and even less those who forced Belgrade into everything.

He notes that he is ashamed that six out of ten points of the agreement relating to the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities have not been fulfilled, although the shame is not his, but of those who guaranteed it – the European Union, noting that 13 years of lies have passed.

The President of Serbia is convinced that Pristina will not establish the Community of Serb Municipalities, emphasizing that he expects that now some “semi-friends” will call him to joint meetings with a proposal that it should not be the CSM, but something similar, again within the Kosovo system.

“That is their next idea. The essence is that they have exhausted their well and reservoir of lies and that no longer passes anywhere. The only way they can now talk is – ‘you must do it, otherwise the sanctions will be such’,” said Vucic.

He stated that regardless of the pressures, Serbia will not accept and recognize Kosovo’s independence and that there is no government that can do so in the future.

Sunday marks the 13th anniversary of the signing of the Brussels Agreement. You have said that Serbia holds on to that agreement “like a drunk to a fence.” Do you still maintain the same position today on the importance of that agreement for Serbs and for preserving peace?

That 19 April 2013 was not an easy day for us. It was a day full of compromises in almost impossible conditions. It is easy to be a general after the battle, but we reached something that guaranteed elementary rights to our people in Kosovo and Metohija, survival in Kosovo and Metohija, and did not recognize the independence or statehood of Kosovo. The pressures were enormous from all sides and someone may say – you can always resist pressure. If anyone resisted pressure, then it was the delegations in whose work I participated as well, and I tried to protect our interests in the strongest and most powerful way.

But at that time it was also necessary to think about Serbia’s economic recovery, do not forget, about ensuring that Serbia would not be isolated, sanctioned by everyone. Serbia that would have been left without 500,000 jobs, Serbia hungry, Serbia without factories, without roads, schools, hospitals, without anything. And in all of that we reached an agreement in which they expected two more points. One concerned, in the future, not only “de facto” but also “de jure” recognition, and one concerned the imposition, that is, the octroi, of a regional police commander for the north, which Albin Kurti later abused and carried out, which led to the disbanding of the police, to all the unrest in the north and to everything else.

When I have said all this, I wanted to give a historical context, but much more important than all that – the Brussels Agreement we fulfilled in good faith, and they lied to us and deceived us in everything. Both the Albanians from Kosovo and Metohija and their leaderships, and even more the third signatory, the European Union.

I did not personally sign that agreement, but I knew that it was the least bad that we could obtain at that moment. And when you say that we cling to it like a drowning man to a straw, just as we hold on to the Dayton Peace Agreement, which many of us criticized at the time when it was adopted. Why? Because Europeans, when they would bring such rules, and Americans as well, but now even more Europeans than Americans, they would bring them in order to put us into a machine, into a centrifuge to start accepting everything, while they of course respect nothing. I am ashamed to say that six out of ten points of the Brussels basic agreement, which were accepted and signed – have not been fulfilled, and each concerns the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities. But it is not me who should be ashamed, but those who did not fulfill it, and who guaranteed it, and that is the European Union. Thirteen years of lies. We held, you will not believe, 245 meetings in the dialogue process, thirty-eight at the highest level, God knows how many days and nights in total, God knows how many multilateral meetings on the margins of the European Political Community and many other organizations and institutions. And there was always only one desire – how and in what way to force the Serbs into accepting the independence of Kosovo.

To be completely precise, all are games and little games. The only goal is for Serbia, although they will say no “de jure,” but in the end it would come to that – to recognize “de facto” the independence of Kosovo.

Why do they need that? First, to cover their criminal actions in 1999, 2000 and 2008. They will never, neither great nor small powers, admit that they were wrong. They will never say that they should not have carried out aggression against Serbia, a million times they will seek and find justification for the grave crimes they committed in this country. They will justify them by claiming that they protected others from our alleged crimes, even if that is not based on international law, on anything.

Secondly, they must obtain validation of everything and a solution to that problem because the entire story about Ukraine, about Greenland, ultimately about Iran, about everything else sounds ridiculous to them if someone says to them – well, that is what you did to Serbia. And that can be said to them by anyone. And thirdly, today they refer to principles, to the UN Charter, to resolutions, acts, international public law documents. All public law documents in the sphere of international law and politics they have brutally trampled and violated in the case of Serbia. And they know that very well. And that is why it is always best to reduce everything to politics. These are the three reasons why they must do that. And that is why it is easiest – we do not want Vucic, we do not want this or that one, we want to find someone who will approve everything we have done, who will supposedly look to the future, to be looking to the future, and not to the past.

Both 13 years ago and today, as President of the Republic, and back then as First Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Serbia, I was looking to the future, I wanted good relations with the Albanians, I believed that their only goal was not merely to expel the Serbs, but that they wanted some kind of peace and stability. I was mistaken. Neither did they want that, and much less than they did those who were forcing us into all of that and telling us – just look to the future, accept reality and that is it. Imagine what it would look like if someone were to tell them – accept the reality in Ukraine, and how you would be assessed, condemned and characterized by everyone. All of that speaks of their hypocrisy.

What they are doing today, and I say this so that the public in Serbia should know that we are not idiots. You must always accept dialogue, because when you are not at the table, you are on the menu. You have to talk. If you ask me whether I feel like going to the meeting of the European Political Community in Yerevan – I do not feel like going. But someone will have to go, either the Prime Minister or I, so that we would not be entirely on the menu. We must always talk, because even the worst and most difficult conversation is always better than any kind of conflict.

But, a few examples. No one has ever asked me what happened with the Stojanovic boys, aged 11 and 19, who were shot, and whether the member of the so-called Kosovo security services who shot at them just because they were carrying the Badnjak (Christmas Tree) on Christmas Eve was punished. Do you think they have ever asked me or sought from anyone who it was that shot Dragisa Galjak in the back or many other Serbs. Do you think they are interested in who it was that removed the sign from the Serbian clinic that treated people in the village of Banje in the municipality of Srbica. None of that has ever interested them. They are interested only in having as many people as possible held accountable for Banjska because of the death of one police officer who died in an unfortunate incident, because the only thing that interests them today is quietly and underhandedly, while ostensibly not fully agreeing with it, but by remaining silent and allowing it, to integrate healthcare and education into the Pristina system. And we see and know that. And they are doing that directly contrary to the agreement, and to both the letter and the spirit of the agreement that we signed. And nothing interests them. So, they even adopted other agreements in the meantime that we did not even sign, wanting to say that those were “lex specialis” in relation to the previous one, which was “lege generali,” so that only that should apply.

I want to tell the citizens of Serbia that we know all their tricks, but we also know the distribution of power and forces. And we know what it is that we have to do to preserve our homeland and our people in Kosovo and Metohija, on the one hand, and what it is that we must do on strengthening the economy in Serbia, on the other. They are not smarter than we are, they are only much stronger than we are. And even to the one who is much stronger, we oppose ourselves as much as we can, in observance of our Constitution, territorial integrity and the preservation of our country.

Every year we increase allocations for our people in Kosovo and Metohija. You have a snack allowance of 5,000 dinars every month, for every child, from nursery school, kindergarten and school, as well as 20,000 dinars every month for 10,000 unemployed persons who have no other income, on my proposal. For everyone who has been arrested, charged, convicted, we allocate huge sums of money both for legal assistance and for assistance to their families. Not to mention soup kitchens and everything else, as well as the well-known Kosovo allowance and why a farmer in Lesak or Leposavic nevertheless lives incomparably better than a farmer in Raska and why a teacher in Lesak has higher income than a teacher in neighboring Raska. That is what we can do.

Unfortunately, that injustice and crime which they committed against the Serbian people, in 1999 and in 2008 and all the time continuously, is something that we can neither forget nor do we want to forget, and they always hoped that they would find some who would look at that in a different way. It is impossible, because you cannot explain to us why you trampled on the UN Charter and Resolution 1244. It is still in force, and they are still undermining and violating it every day. They imposed on us as a special chapter (in the negotiations with the EU) – Chapter 35. Not to mention that they said – arrest Milosevic and you are saved. Like the worst wretches we arrested our own president and handed him over to someone else on Vidovdan, as the greatest shame in the history of any government in Serbia. We arrested people as if in sacks, handed them over like a kilo of meat, and every time it was – just one more thing and all your doors are open. We transferred Tolimir across the Drina by force, in sacks, in the trunk. We arrested Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, those were great announcements, the entire world congratulated us - now you are in Europe… And do you know what they are going to do now? To say that Moldova is opening all clusters because they are anti-Russian oriented, and you Serbs cannot open them because you had an invented sound cannon. And they know that they are lying about the sound cannon, but they will continue. I have mentioned only one example.

And regardless of that, I still think that this is the path Serbia should follow because of important and good laws, because it belongs to Europe, but it must be completely clear and we must say distinctly, first of all to ourselves, what it is that they have done to us regarding Kosovo and Metohija and that those things will only become harder for us. As well as that they created the military alliance of Pristina, Tirana and Zagreb, which is very threatening and endangering for us and our country. But we are sufficiently strong and powerful that this helps us and serves us as a deterrent factor for all those who think they can break Serbia.

Even 13 years later, that agreement has not been fulfilled, the Community of Serb Municipalities is missing. Is there any plan B, if the CSM is not established, what else can Serbia do on that issue?

I will reveal it to you. They will not establish it. They will do something else. Now they will find some who are half-friends to us to invite me to joint meetings and say - let us resolve it, let it not be the CSM, but let it be something similar, and let it be again within the Kosovo system, etc. That is their next idea. The essence is that they have exhausted their well and their reservoir of lies and that no longer passes anywhere. The only way they can now talk is “you must do it, otherwise the sanctions will be such.” So that is what I expect. The text that Marta Kos released through her PR expert served that purpose. He released a dirty text against Serbia. We understood the message. Just to show that we know exactly who stands behind that text, which is not any journalistic, investigative text, but a text directly dictated by the PR chief of the enlargement department.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, during his recent visit to London, again insisted on preconditions for continuing the dialogue - the extradition of Milan Radoicic, the withdrawal of the letter of former Prime Minister Ana Brnabic (reservations relating to the obligations from the agreement on the path to normalization of relations) and the signing of the Ohrid Agreement. What do you think of those ultimatums and is continuation of the dialogue possible under such circumstances?

We have no conditions whatsoever for dialogue. We have always wanted dialogue. He has never substantially participated in dialogue. And Borrell and anyone who has talked with him can confirm that. All of that is nonsense. Fulfill first what was signed in 2013. Do not talk about what was not signed. Fulfill what was signed in 2013 and there is no problem. After that we will fulfill all of our obligations.

In recent days pressure on the Serbs in Kosovo has continued, this time through the closure and takeover of clinics in Serbian communities, and the constant arrest of Serbs for alleged war crimes. Through its embassies and missions, Belgrade has informed the international community of this and requested an urgent and clear reaction. Is there a reaction, above all from the West, and how can Serbia protect its people in Kosovo from such frequent unilateral moves by Pristina?

You will not believe it. The only ones who reacted regarding certain inspections in Gracanica, the insolence and recklessness of the Pristina authorities, were the Americans. I am very grateful to them for that. We will continue to work more strongly with the Americans on that and all other issues. As for the Europeans, regarding Kosovo and Metohija, do you think that they would assign us only Croats to decide on our fate, and assign to Pristina only Estonians. Do you think that is accidental? Does anyone believe that it is accidental? We would be idiots if we believed that it was accidental.

The trial of KLA leaders in The Hague is in its final stage. At the same time, Pristina is doing everything to preserve the image of the so-called “Kosovo liberation struggle,” through the resolution “on protecting the truth about the KLA war,” but also through portraying Albanians as the only victims of the conflict. In your opinion, what lies behind that? How will the verdict in The Hague affect relations in the region?

I do not want to interfere in that. It would not even be honorable. It is known what we think about the crimes that were committed against our people. We had, unfortunately, Serbian judges who today are major stars of the blockaders, who released rapists, child killers, killers of mothers, Serbian mothers, Serbian children, rapists of Serbian women, whom they released, such as the Gnjilane Group, as one of the supreme blockaders, Majic, did. So I think it is enough for you to see what is happening in the region - only Serbs are guilty, accused and convicted of everything. When you look at the case of Atif Dudakovic, earlier Naser Oric, Ante Gotovina and all the others, it must be clear to us that only a Serb is allowed, can and must be convicted, while all others do not have to be. That is that justice, that is what I was talking about. It is not important what the truth is, what matters is who is stronger, who has more so-called liberal media, who has more power, force, money. That one shapes the truth, the past and the present, and thinks that he will shape the future as well. And truth, it is not important to them, it may also go to the rubbish heap of history, unless some people are stubborn and want to preserve and defend it, just as we Serbs do.

On several occasions you have warned that the greatest threat to Serbia is the military alliance of Zagreb, Tirana and Pristina. Has anyone from the international community reacted to that, have you received an answer to the question against whom that alliance is directed, at least in direct conversation with you?

Never. They told me all sorts of things. They told me that Tadic signed an agreement with Zagreb in 2006, an agreement on military-technical cooperation. I do not quite understand, but it is not important either. I respect it because the state is the state, you must also serve what someone before you did. The state does not begin with you, nor does it end with you. But that is not a military alliance. This is a military alliance. Now they would also like to deny what they put in the name of that military alliance. That is why Anusic says - “this is cooperation” and the like, but it is a military alliance. I asked NATO, I asked the EU, I asked all of them why. Just tell me why. I did not get an answer. Of course they are not concerned, because their idea is to keep Serbia encircled and surrounded, for those forces to serve as control forces for Serbia, so that supposedly the “little Russians,” as if we were not Serbs, but “little Russians.” And they spread all such lies and fabrications everywhere, so that it would not occur to us to attack someone somewhere.

In fact, they are preparing at some point, when a larger world conflict breaks out, to continue with the further dismemberment of Serbia’s territory. Just do not tell me that we have not had such examples in history. Just go back 80 years and you will see how many there were. You do not have to go back 80 years, you can go back a little fewer years and you will see that I am right, however unbelievable that may seem to you today. Do not forget they took away 14 percent of our territory. They never said sorry, rather it is taken for granted, normal, and that we are not normal because we do not accept it. Do not remind me of the stories about it - there are only 300,000 of you there, then 200,000, then only 100,000, and where there are 50,000 of them, there they would preserve even a territory sixty times larger. What can you do? A time of hypocrisy, lies, deceit, in which we have lived and certainly will live for some more time, but I hope and believe not for too long.

Bearing in mind that Kurti constantly accuses Serbia of being a proxy of Russia and Pristina is arming itself, should we be concerned for peace and stability in this area?

He always longed to get what he did not have, a wartime role. Of course what most easily reached Western ears was “you are a Russian proxy.” More texts have been written in Russia against me than against him, but who cares about that. Because some Russians take it for granted that we must always be with them in every decision and that we must not sometimes have a different position. I am proud of Serbian independence. I would be ashamed to behave as their president or prime minister sometimes behaves. What can you do, we are different people. But of course the danger is not only him, but that entire alliance. You have seen the Albanian and Croatian answers as well to the question of what would happen if that were to happen. All of that is clear to us. That is why we are strengthening our country economically, militarily, in every way, so that we may always be in a position to preserve the lives of our citizens.

After the change of government in Hungary, do you expect that official Budapest could change its position on Kosovo and in international organizations? Hungary recognized Kosovo, but during Viktor Orbán’s time it supported Serbia’s position in international organizations.

I really cannot speculate. It is entirely certain that I will speak with Prime Minister Péter Magyar when the time comes for that. I believe that we will find common ground. We have countless joint projects, countless common interests, I also believe a common future. So I do not think it is easy to destroy something very good and a friendship that has been built over the years.

What would your message be to the Serbian people in Kosovo?

Not only 13 years have passed, 18 years have passed since the most difficult decisions. Twenty-seven years have passed since the Kumanovo Agreement, years of difficult life for our people in Kosovo and Metohija. As much as we can, and we will always strive for that to be more and more, as a state we will help our people. On the other hand, regardless of pressures, we will not accept and recognize Kosovo’s independence. There is no government in Serbia that can do that in the future. And thirdly, very important to me, someone will say we have lost so many people who left Kosovo and Metohija, but believe it or not, at a lower rate than we were losing them from 1960 to 1990 of the last century. And proportionally even fewer.

But there is something that we have raised. That is the spirit of the Kosovo covenant. That is the freedom-loving spirit of the whole of Serbia. Kosovo is not only every village, every town, Kosovo is not only Novo Brdo, Pasjane, Partes, Klokot, nor Velika Hoca, Osojane, Banje near Srbica, nor Mitrovica, Zubin Potok, Leposavic, Lesak, Zvecan, Strpce, Gracanica, Laplje Selo, nor Donja and Gornja Gusterica, Kosovo is in the soul and heart of every one of our people. Kosovo and Metohija show our attitude toward our heroes, our past, but they also give us a view of the future of what Serbia should look like. It should be independent in decision-making, it should be autonomous, it should be faithful to itself, to its tradition, it should modernize, but it should not renounce the truth for the sake of that and should not trample over its dead, its heroes, who gave their lives on the altar of the homeland. In any case it will be very difficult, but together we will manage to overcome all of that and I believe that in two or three years we will have a more favorable situation in the world. Especially with the greatest world powers, the United States and China, much more favorable than we had until yesterday. With China we have always had that, with the Americans we have not. I believe that in the next two years we can very much change that.