Vucic: Dialogue is the only way to a solution, but Pristina wants to show that their power has no limits

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, pointed out today, at the beginning of his address to the public from the Presidency at Andricev Venac in Belgrade, that since the coming to power of Albin Kurti in Kosovo, 401 attacks on the Serbs had occurred, that 41 escalating moves had occurred in the north, i.e. that 41 times they had almost directly tried to provoke conflicts, 15 attacks on Serbian children, 15 direct attempts to prevent the functioning of the Serbian health system, as well as 56 attacks on religious objects of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

During his address, Vucic said that he was going to Brussels on Wednesday or Thursday for talks with the Pristina delegation.

"It is an obligation for us because dialogue is the only way to solve problems, and they are piling up," Vucic said.

He pointed out that, the day after NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had said that he expected significant consultations with KFOR for any actions by the KSF and the Kosovo Police, Albanian police officers had raided the "Lola Ribar" factory in Zubin Potok, an old factory that they had closed and sealed.

"It is their desire to prove that their power has no limits. At the same time, they continued to arrest the Serbs for some old crimes," Vucic said and reminded that four Serbs from the north and six from Strpce had been released from custody, as well as Dejan Pantic, who had been released from custody pending trial.

He pointed out that Belgrade had shown goodwill and that it had been discussed with the representatives of the Serbs so that they were ready to accept the dialogue regarding the elections in the north.

However, he points out, that what is not discussed is that the Serbs leave their hearths, their buildings, their property.

In this sense, he pointed out that the Pristina authorities had tried different tricks to evict the Serbs who worked there in the Bosniak Mahala in North Mitrovica.

"They tried yesterday before they were pressured by the EU and the USA," Vucic said, adding that after the pressure they had postponed it until after the dialogue.

The President of Serbia pointed out that Albin Kurti's regime seemed to be engaged in nothing but mistreatment of the Serbs.

"The question is what our answer can be. We try to make it calm, and rational, but always loud and clear enough. I don't have to explain that our hands are quite tied, but we try to find the best solution to help our compatriots," the President emphasized.

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, reminded that Pristina, contrary to the will of the Serbs and the spirit of the Brussels Agreement, which clearly stated that no special bases for the accommodation of police bases in the north were foreseen, was making decisions.

"It is another cause of a possible new crisis, as well as the blockade of Serbian products, which has been going on for three months. The catastrophic consequences of this are in our hospitals. We are trying to find a way to deliver medicines, especially to Kosovska Mitrovica and Gracanica. Obviously, we will have to ask the representatives of the international community to help us in this work, not to mention the fact that food and other necessities for our people are starting to run out for the first time and the end of supplies is near," Vucic said.

"We will do our best to keep the peace, but always, unequivocally and firmly stand by our people," Vucic said.

Citing important meetings in the next period, he sent a request to the representatives of the international community to look at the situation in Kosovo through arguments.

"Our request to the representatives of the EU and the USA, as well as to our friends China and Russia, is to look at the situation in Kosovo through arguments. Not through who created the so-called independence of Kosovo, but who produced unrest and conflicts, in whose interest it is, and who did not participate in it in any way. Serbia's desire and struggle to respect its constitution and public international law, and the UN charter cannot be interpreted as a provocation. Serbia did not take any measures on the ground to cause any escalation and problems. Unfortunately, some others are. We understand the campaign, and all political interests, but when it comes to preserving peace, then all those interests cannot come before everything I said," Vucic said.
Vucic emphasized that before the meeting in Brussels, he was expected to hold talks in Skopje, as a part of the Brdo-Brijuni initiative.

"A day or two after that, we're in Brussels with Kurti, and then in Hungary for the big Democracy Summit. After the holidays, we'll be in New York for an important session of the United Nations, where we'll have more important meetings with presidents, prime ministers, and many other high-ranking officials from all over the world, where we will again try to present Serbia in an appropriate, dignified, but at the same time serious and responsible way," Vucic added.
Regarding the attack of the opposition in Serbia, Vucic pointed out that whatever he did regarding Kosovo, was not good for them.

"We are faced with that kind of hypocrisy that whatever we do regarding Kosovo is not good. If we don't talk to Kurti, we are introducing Serbia into isolation, that's what right-wingers, fake leftists, and big Europeans will say. If we go to talks, all those fake right-wingers will make a photomontage of us shaking hands with Kurti. They will say, these are new talks where Vucic should sign independence, which we have heard a hundred times so far," Vucic pointed out.

As he stated, the opposition did not talk about the fact that even 85 countries had recognized Kosovo during their rule.

"As many as 85 countries recognized the independence of Kosovo during their time, and who cares about the fact that during Vucic's time, 28 countries withdrew the recognition of the independence of Kosovo, that we didn’t lose anything else, and that we have 550,000 more employed persons and that our country is growing in every respect," he added.

As he stated, the Government at that time had been silent, during the March pogrom and when independence had been declared.

"They criticize me for not meeting with Zelenskyy, so when I met with him why I did it. Then, why we didn't impose sanctions on Russia; we hear that every day. Does it make sense? The same people say the opposite things. The state is not a toy. I was elected as President to represent the interests of the citizens, and I do that in the best possible way," Vucic concluded.