Lucic: There is now more understanding in the US administration for the problems of “Telekom” in Kosovo

The General Director of “Telekom Srbija”, Vladimir Lucic, said today that after his meetings in Washington, he is more optimistic because there is greater understanding within the US administration for the problems the company faces in Kosovo regarding obtaining a third license. Lucic told TV Prva that, above all thanks to the company’s employees in Kosovo, the negative campaign by the authorities in Pristina does not affect the quality of services.

“I always spend a lot of time in Washington talking about our position in Kosovo and Metohija. And I am more optimistic, not only because we managed to prevent them from shutting us down, but I think there is now great understanding within the US administration about our company’s problems and the need to get a third license. I’m more optimistic now, because even the lower levels of the administration have been filled, and this is an ideal chance to further strengthen relations with the State Department, which have already been on an upward trajectory for several years. I see a big opportunity here,” Lucic said.

In that regard, he also pointed out that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s visit to New York came “at the right moment,” recalling Vucic’s meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“Even people coming from those lower levels of the State Department will have more understanding for Serbia, which, I am sure, will make the most of it. A new era of excellent US-Serbia relations is coming, and Serbia will use it wisely to make achieving its goals easier,” Lucic said.

Asked whether the negative campaign by Pristina authorities affects Telekom’s operations in Kosovo, Lucic said that thanks to the company’s 250 employees there, it is not felt in the quality of services, but he expressed confidence that with a change of government in Pristina, better times would come for Telekom.

“Thanks to our workers, 250 of them, it doesn’t affect us. We cover 30,000 households, the service quality is good, no interruptions. We remain an important part of life there, because having internet, domestic TV channels, and a connection with central Serbia is very important. Life there is not easy, people are under a lot of pressure,” Lucic said.

He also mentioned that after the construction of the new bridge over the Ibar, Telekom’s building ended up practically between the two bridges, the old and the new, and that it is quite clear “they don’t want us there.”

“It is pretty obvious we are unwanted, but we have a permit for the building, and they can’t move us,” he underlined.

He noted that Telekom did not have problems with previous administrations in Pristina, and that there was even an understanding of the company’s operations.

“That is why I am convinced that with changes at that level, better times will come for our company in Kosovo and Metohija,” Lucic stressed.

Speaking about the company’s performance, Lucic highlighted that this will be a record year for Telekom Srbija, with group revenue of €2.2 billion and operating profit of €1.2 billion.

He said he is proud of everything Telekom has done over the past seven years, rejecting what he called baseless criticisms of the company. He pointed out that many would have preferred if Telekom had not entered a growth cycle and had remained small, with a market share of less than one percent, when it was not competitive.

He added that the secret lies in good strategy and long-term planning, noting that Telekom’s strategy includes, among other things, becoming the “Balkan Netflix,” having the strongest and highest-quality network, and not forgetting the diaspora.

He also announced the launch of the 5G network in December.

“We will definitely get the license in December for the 5G network. We are preparing for it, we have support from the European Investment Bank and the US Export-Import Bank and others. We are preparing, and I think we will delight users with several interesting services,” Lucic said.

Belgrade, he added, has become a center of film and series production, which strengthens Telekom not only in that domain but also in telecommunications.

“It is important that we are that player. We had one competitor, United Group, and we acquired it, and we practically became a producer both for the region and for the diaspora. We became a producer and hub for other channels. For example, all Albanian channels gave Telekom the right to distribute them in Europe and America. We have become a content carrier for this region,” Lucic said.

As for Telekom’s entry into the US market, he said the project has been postponed for a year and a half but that work on it is ongoing in the US.

“We have several topics there, because America is the center of artificial intelligence development and has always been number one in digital services. We are also trying to establish cooperation in the field of cyber security. This is a topic everyone is working on; it’s important for the economy, the military… In most attacks, which are increasingly frequent, hackers use artificial intelligence to manipulate online,” Lucic explained.

He added that this is precisely why Telekom acquired the best company in the region specializing in cyber security, which guarantees exceptional protection.