Vesic: Vucic protected Serbia's interests in Athens in the best way

Goran Vesic, the Minister of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure and a member of the Presidency of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), stated today that President Aleksandar Vucic had protected national interests in the best possible way during the Summit in Athens and that he had successfully ensured that the joint Declaration, accepted by all leaders, would not be directed against Serbian interests, RTV reports.

"In our country, and also on the political scene, there are two extremes: those who advocate for Serbia to impose sanctions on Russia and join the war on Ukraine's side, and those who want the country to enter a war on Moscow's side and fight someone else's war, both of which are equally irresponsible. President Vucic succeeded in ensuring that the Declaration would not in any way be directed against Serbia's interests," Vesic said as a guest on TV Hepi.

Addressing criticism directed at President Vucic for shaking hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vesic said that Ukraine was an internationally recognized state that had not recognized Kosovo and with which Serbia had no issues and that therefore, there was no reason for Vucic not to shake hands with Zelenskyy.

Vesic added that on the first day of Russia's attack on Ukraine, Serbia had clearly stated that it was an act of aggression, a violation of international law, and an attempt to change the borders of a recognized state.

"We say this as a country whose borders they are trying to change by taking away Kosovo and Metohija. How can we demand that Kosovo and Metohija remain in Serbia if we agree that the borders of another UN member can be changed?" Vesic questioned.

As he noted, Serbia's position on this matter is clear and principled: if the territorial integrity of Ukraine is respected, then the territorial integrity of Serbia must also be respected.

"We condemned Russia's aggression on Ukraine because it is an attack by one UN member against another. We believe that the issue should be resolved through dialogue. We know the impact of sanctions and remember how much our citizens suffered under them. Therefore, Serbia does not believe in the politics of sanctions but is consistent in respecting international law," Vesic emphasized.

According to him, President Vucic will always collaborate and converse with those who represent their citizens, defending Serbia's interests.

"He does not pick and choose who to talk to, but he pledged to work in Serbia's interest, and he is doing just that. It's not pleasant for the President to talk to Kurti, but Kurti represents temporary institutions in Pristina. Vucic attended even the most senseless meetings in Brussels because his duty is to talk to everyone," Vesic said, adding that the Declaration in Athens confirmed the correctness of President Vucic's policies.

As Vesic indicated, Vucic is the first president who manages to protect national interests through economic development, which is why it is crucial for the country to continue developing, even though there are always those in the region who are unhappy about Serbia's strengthening, because they lag behind.