Vucic: Due to the overall geopolitical situation, Serbia and Serbs are paying a very high price

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic emphasized tonight that due to the overall geopolitical situation, Serbia and Serbs were paying a very high price.

He emphasized that for Serbia, the most important political issue was Kosovo and everything that was happening today, including the potential membership of Kosovo in the Council of Europe.

"For us, the most important issue is Kosovo and Metohija and everything that is happening today, including the potential membership of so-called Kosovo in the Council of Europe. This represents overall pressure on the Serbs, due to our military-political position, military neutrality, and our stance on the conflict in Ukraine, namely condemning the attack on a sovereign country like Ukraine but not joining sanctions against the Russian Federation. The third reason is related to these two things because Western countries feel great pressure due to the advancement of Russian forces and the uncertainty about how the conflict in Ukraine will end, pressed by possible future political messages from Moscow, which will be based on the Kosovo precedent," Vucic emphasized.

He said that they wanted to remove the "ace up the sleeve" from Vladimir Putin and that was why the Serbs and Serbia were targeted.

Sanctions for Pristina - yet they were rewarded with visa liberalization, while there is no international forum they haven't participated in.

Vucic listed key facts about Kosovo, which best illustrate the weight of Serbia's position, especially the Serbs in Kosovo, stating that it was obvious that the sanctions imposed on Pristina served no purpose.

He emphasized that peace was Serbia's priority and of immense importance because the country's economy was progressing better than expected.

He pointed out that during the three years of Albin Kurti's government, Pristina had continuously taken escalatory actions, with as many as 494 attacks on the Serbs and the Serbian Orthodox Church, while in the nine previous years before his coming to power, there had been only 170 attacks more.

This clearly indicates that, proportionally, there are twice as many attacks on the Serbs during Kurti's time as before him, even though the situation was not good then either, Vucic emphasized.

He also pointed out that sanctions against Pristina served no purpose.

"His sponsors and allies constantly talk about the rule of law, but when they don't like something, they say - they imposed sanctions against him, and since then - Serbian goods cannot go to Kosovo for nine months, in the past year there hasn't been any international forum from which Pristina has been excluded, and they have been granted enhanced status in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, precisely on March 24, the day NATO began its aggression against Serbia," Vucic said.

The CSM is a fundamental condition for Pristina, before any that Belgrade needs to fulfill

Vucic also emphasized that in every conversation, international representatives had repeated to him that the formation of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities was a fundamental condition, that Pristina must fulfill before Belgrade did anything.

"They punished them by initiating and voting for membership in the Council of Europe. Besides not being a state, we are talking about a crucial matter prescribed and imposed by the West. They told us in all discussions who needed to do what. The essential obligation for Pristina, before any obligation for Belgrade, is the formation of the CSM," Vucic emphasized.

As he said, Gabriel Escobar had told him four times, Jens Stoltenberg once, Miroslav Lajcak four times, Emanuel Bonne three times, and the Italian envoy once.

"It was repeated to my face on several occasions. Serbia has no obligation before Pristina forms the CSM," Vucic emphasized.

He pointed out that Dora Bakoyannis had received a phone call three days before changing her mind, after which, he said, "she suddenly regretted being firm and strong."

"She remembered that neither the CSM nor expropriation matter, but what matters is that they will respect their decision to return several hectares of land to Visoki Decani," Vucic noted.

He added that regarding the CSM, their experts said it was not only Pristina's internal obligation but also an international one.

"And then they received a letter where Kurti and Osmani say they will implement it as soon as they are admitted to the Council of Europe. And everyone knows they are lying. And behold the paradox, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will probably be held on the 11th anniversary of the adoption of the Brussels Agreement, which envisages the establishment of the CSM. The date game is not accidental; they think they can humiliate Serbs forever. And to Dora Bakoyannis, I say, 'shame on you for what you did, it's known who ordered you to give up on principles.' Shame on you. Only some people in the international arena have a backbone, and some have nothing," he said.

He emphasized that he could not even talk about the pressures on Serbia in Brussels regarding the abolition of the dinar, not because he didn't want to be transparent, but because they all felt ashamed.

"Do you know everything that they demand from us? They've come to the point of saying the euro is their currency in Kosovo, and the European Central Bank doesn't recognize it. We said okay, we'll deposit however you want, but they say you can't withdraw through the Postal Savings Bank. They say Serbian banks won't be allowed in Kosovo. They want us to sell branches of the Postal Savings Bank to foreigners, to Raiffeisen Bank, or others. We're not selling branches of our bank or our ideal ownership stakes. They're simply not normal, all of them together. You can laugh, but none of them are normal. Neither now nor ever will we accept the abolition of the dinar. Don't pat us on the back any more; you've lied to us and deceived us enough," Vucic emphasized.

He stressed that Serbia's attitude had changed in that regard, and no one would force it to change its stance and accept something just because Serbia was polite.

The president said that the persecution of the Serbs was thoroughly organized and that there was a loud and organized silence.

"The persecution of the Serbs in the north has been brutally orchestrated, while on the other hand, we hear organized silence. This organized silence is very loudly heard. From the violent shutdown of Serbian institutions, constant presence of armored vehicles in peaceful areas, violent expropriation of Serbian property used for building police facilities, confiscation of Serbian Orthodox Church property, as is the case in Rajska Banja, where they violate protected zones, to plowing over Serbian religious buildings to construct roads between their idiotic facilities, removing Cyrillic signs from places in the Serbian language, which is an act of cultural genocide and a violation of their own regulations," he explained.

Vucic said there was no possibility of a safe return for the Serbs, and they wouldn’t even comment on any proposals from Belgrade.

"As for internally displaced persons, I ask you, since there is talk of unimpeded return based on UN Resolution 1244, what about that? There are 220,000 internally displaced persons. Safe return where? We have provided proposals and plans for return, and they refuse to even comment because it's absolutely unacceptable to them," he emphasized.

He reminded that the embargo on Serbian goods had been going on for nine months.

"They violate everything from the CEFTA to all international agreements, for months, and no one says anything anymore. And when we installed cameras at the administrative border crossing, we received 12 letters from Western powers asking why we needed cameras. So that you cannot lie that something happened that didn't. No regulation prohibits us from doing so," he underscored.

He also pointed out other violations of agreements from the dialogue, such as the illegal revocation of the MTS license and the prevention of the Working Group for Missing Persons from functioning, as well as the disallowance of visits to the detained Serbs, which, he said, constituted a flagrant violation of rights.

"And then we come to the local elections. When those criminal and thieving elections were held in the north, with a plan to destroy the Serbian population, they said it was our fault because the Serbs had left Kosovo institutions. They left the institutions themselves, despite my advice. But I understand why they did it after the brutal trampling of the Brussels Agreement, after Kurti replaced the commander of the regional police in the north, Djuric, from Berlin. When that democratic act took place with a turnout of 3.4 percent, general persecution began. They hired some private Kurti’s Serbs, who rented some brothels for four Serbs who want to participate with Kurti," he added.

He said it had been proposed to accept their resignations so that Serbs could participate in the elections, and then Serbs had reluctantly accepted that if the president were to ask them to do so.

"Then I went and informed Macron and Scholz about that decision, and they said okay, but that now they demanded us to submit a petition, from which it was evident that there were 20 percent interested, then we would have elections. We submitted a petition with more than 20 percent and requested new elections. Kurti does not give elections. Now you have to have a referendum and more than 50 percent registered voters. But those people are not there, it's impossible. That referendum is not the end of troubles but the beginning.

As he says, for the recall vote, 50 percent plus 1 voter is needed, and after Banjska, when the real terror against the Serbs began, 12 percent of the Serbs left their homes.

"But the voter list was increased by 834 voters. Why? Just so these conditions cannot be met. Voting by mail, which is allowed everywhere in the world, is impossible according to the decisions of Pristina because only voting from countries that have recognized the independence of Kosovo is accepted. Maybe only from Montenegro can they vote. I saw this minister today, Maida Gorcevic, all trembling. Shame on them. They think they have the right and boast about seizing territories from us, just to please the USA because an honorable woman Maja Vukicevic voted against in the CoE," he said.

He added that the deadlines for electoral procedures were maximally complicated and too short - registration lasted for six days.

He also pointed out that the recall vote, as announced, would be challenged in court.

"That shows how they treat us as fools," he added.

As he emphasized, Albanians would still have a majority, even if they overcame all the obstacles they set before the Serbs.

"In all commissions, Albanians are in the majority, and they can vote for everything. And they demanded that cameras be set up to film every Serb who comes to vote. And they want to put up Albanian flags at every polling station. In Leposavic, the lists of citizens who signed the petition ended up in the hands of these four drug dealers, Kurti's Serbs, who are now blackmailing Serbs. Those scumbags, who are loved by regional media. They boast about snorting cocaine themselves," Vucic emphasized.

He said he had explained the seriousness of the situation regarding Kosovo and that he would continue to talk, as well as listen to the opinions of the Serbian Parliament and Government.

"We will make decisions about the CoE issue. I am ready to listen to the opinion of the Serbian Government, which must make the final decision, the parliamentary majority, and representatives of all parties about what Serbia's reaction should be. I believe that Serbia's reaction should be strong, serious, and responsible on May 11th. I do not want to talk about that decision because I do not want to limit Serbia's maneuvering space, as there is still time to prepare for it," he pointed out.

Vucic said he had received an official invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron, stating that the visit would be important and that he would ask him to consider international legal norms, including the CSM.

"I know that France supports independent Kosovo, but I will ask them to consider everything that has been adopted so far. But I have no expectations; it will only be my request. I will fight," he emphasized.

Vucic pointed out that this was just one part of the problems Serbia faces, that important dates are April 18, 19, and further May 11, but also that a resolution on the genocide in Srebrenica was being prepared.

"They are preparing for April 27 and some resolution on the genocide in Srebrenica to be adopted in the UN General Assembly, sponsors are, imagine, Germany and Rwanda. Two days ago, when there was supposed to be a discussion about the situation produced by the NATO aggression 25 years ago, the comment of two Western ambassadors was 'Why are Serbs looking back to the past, let's look to the future.' And then they decided to take us back 29 years. And that's usual and everything is fine," he criticized.

He adds that this resolution is being adopted for two reasons, again to punish the Serbs for their libertarian policy, further pressure due to Kosovo and foreign policy orientation, but also to show Muslims in the world that, despite their support for Israel alongside Muslims, they have found those they would support.

Vucic said that Serbia was small and that regarding this resolution, it would have the Muslim world on the other side, literally the richest part of the world.

He says that many will abstain, the situation is very complicated with minimal chances for us, but it is up to us to show the desire to fight for the truth, never demeaning the victims. They are in a hurry because of the US elections, because of Gaza, but mostly because of what is happening in Ukraine. They are putting us in an almost impossible political situation because we are on the European path. We have not given up on the European path; our position will become increasingly difficult and complicated, Vucic said.

When asked by journalists whether this meant that Serbia had agreed to Kosovo's membership in the CoE given that it had agreed to the Franco-German plan, Vucic assessed that a "campaign of untruths" had begun in Serbia.

He reminded that he had spoken about the Franco-German proposal in the Serbian National Assembly, emphasizing that he had paid special attention to Article 4, answering questions from opposition MPs.

"In my first address after Ohrid and everything, I said that we, in principle, accepted, but I would not sign for several reasons, and then I talked about it in the National Assembly. Firstly, because of Kosovo's membership in the UN, not opposing Kosovo's membership in the UN and membership in UN organizations, agencies, institutions, concluding UNESCO, etc.," Vucic said.

Serbia, he emphasizes, has been working on the implementation "from the very beginning, both orally, in writing, and in every part, the number one priority has always been the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities."

He noted that there would be fewer problems if the CSM had been formed if Serbian goods had been allowed to "flow," and if it had been shown that Pristina also had some obligations.

"We have already fulfilled some obligations from the Ohrid Agreement, they haven't fulfilled any. Because the fraud is that they don't want the CSM and nothing related to that. From that perspective, it is against the law, not just from the perspective that Kosovo is not a state and that I haven't signed," Vucic said.

He noted that even a few days ago, at a meeting with the ambassadors of the Quint countries, he had received advice to insist on that and to have arguments.

"It’s all in vain, I can insist as much as you want when they have more geopolitical goals when they want to overthrow Serbia. That's exactly the problem of how Chapter 35 will look like when amended when we can only say that we don't agree with something, and that's it," Vucic said.

He emphasized that he had noticed that the French and "some others" would try to change something to make it somewhat acceptable so that Serbia could continue its European path, "if nothing else."