Dodik: Vucic showed in Athens that he is capable of defending national and state interests

President of the Republic of Srpska, Milorad Dodik, stated today that the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, had once again demonstrated at the Western Balkans-EU Summit in Athens his ability to defend Serbia's national and state interests on the international political stage, RTV reports.

Dodik said for Tanjug that during the recently held gathering in the Greek capital, Vucic's clarity in discussions with many leaders at this Summit and his dedication to preserving Serbia's interests had showcased his statesmanship.

"Of course, the spotlight is on Vucic's statement, following his meetings with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, that Greece and Ukraine will not recognize the unilateral declaration of Kosovo's independence and that these two countries respect Serbia's territorial integrity," Dodik emphasized.

He also evaluated that some media outlets in Serbia and certain opposition leaders had portrayed their own interpretation of the events at the Western Balkans-EU Summit held in Athens, even though those interpretations did not correspond to reality. Dodik stated that this distorted presentation had positioned them all as disruptive factors, distorting the truth of the Athens meeting.

"They spread disinformation that by initialing the joint Declaration in Athens, Vucic endorsed Putin's arrest, which is a clear fabrication of the truth. Vucic clearly and loudly stated, regarding the final declaration from the Athens Summit, that he did not agree with the part about more effective implementation of sanctions against Russia, thereby ensuring that matters conflicting with Serbia's policies do not appear in the text of the mentioned Declaration," Dodik said.

He emphasized that at the summit, attended by a large number of politicians from the Western Balkans and the European Union, as well as the President of Ukraine, it had been neither simple nor easy, but Vucic, a proven defender of Serbia's interests, had managed to secure understanding for Serbia's position in general and in relation to Kosovo.

"The participants of the Summit confirmed this through their statements, showing their understanding for Vucic's presentation and Serbia's position," Dodik added.