Lucic: Kurti wants to prevent the expansion of MTS, we will prevail in Kosovo

Director-General of "Telekom Srbija," Vladimir Lucic, stated on TV Prva that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti wanted to prevent the expansion of MTS in Kosovo and that this was the real goal behind the new pressures on the Serbian state operator in Kosovo.

That was Lucic’s reaction to the decision of the Competition Authority, which fined MTS more than 1.5 million euros.

"Since Kurti's administration came to power, we have had problems and have been under continuous pressure. The pressure peaked in August when they tried to completely disconnect us. When that action failed with strong support from the international community, they are now going for plan B, trying to prevent our further expansion, especially in consolidating small cable operators in Serbian enclaves", Lucic said.

He added that the Kosovo authorities were once again violating their own laws, which they had written. According to him, "four cable acquisitions in 2019 were done under their old law", and then the law had been changed. They were now trying to apply it retroactively, which was legally impossible, according to Lucic.

The General Director of "Telekom" said he had been prepared for a fine of one and a half million euros, although it was "disproportionate and should be half that amount in Kosovo".

"In any case, we will appeal, file a lawsuit, and seek a delay in the judgment. I don't believe they will grant us that because they are making these maneuvers to harass us", Lucic was clear.

He emphasized that this time he expected support from Western embassies, primarily Brussels, but also the US administration.

"I expect help because this involves a violation of the law. I even expect more significant and better support, especially from the Brussels administration, as it oversees the functioning of competition protection agencies throughout Europe and considers it a crucial institution. So, I expect significant condemnation from them regarding the behavior of such an agency, which I said in August seems more like an Agency for the Prohibition of Competition than for competition protection", Lucic emphasized.

He added that the current case was milder than the one in August when they had wanted to completely shut down the signal in Kosovo.

"Now they want to stop our expansion, but I think there is no way they can do that. I am confident that we will win because we strictly adhere to the Brussels Agreement, which protects us. Kurti's agency, for who knows how many times, violates laws, harassing us again. We go public only when significant problems arise, but we constantly face pressure", the head of "Telekom" said.

They want to limit MTS's operations 

He also talked about Kurti showing in August that he would prefer MTS not to exist in Kosovo, and that was their real goal.

"I am sure they are angry because their attempt failed, and now since they can't disconnect us, they try to limit our operations to reduce our influence. We will, of course, fight and prevail. I think it is crucial for the survival of the Serbian population down there that we, as a Serbian provider, be there, primarily because we have 250 employees, and on the other hand, we provide people with a window to the world", Lucic emphasized.

He described the pressures MTS employees in Kosovo undergo, and one worker from Leposavic was kidnapped in civilian cars when two people abducted him.

"For several hours, the family didn't know what happened to him until he called from prison. He is now released pending trial, supposedly accused of pushing a journalist during some protests. We provided him with legal assistance, but it only shows you how much pressure these people are under, and it is essential for me to thank all the employees of our company because, despite all the pressure, our company functions smoothly down there", Lucic emphasized.