Vucic: Fair EU proposal for overcoming the crisis in the north; Kurti wants problems

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, stated that the proposal of the European Union to overcome the situation in the north of Kosovo, after the local elections in which only about three percent of the citizens, and only 13 Serbs turned out, was fair, but that the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, rejected it, because, as he states, he only wants a crisis.

"They wanted something that was relatively fair, and Borrell tried to explain to Kurti that it makes no sense to brag about the elections with three percent of the citizens who turned out and that there will be problems. Kurti answered that the police would solve it, because these are only criminal structures," said Vucic.

He stated that the proposal of the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, was to establish some transitional solution, in order to hold new elections in a few months, to form the CSM, to return the Serbs to the institutions and to obtain legitimate authorities.

"Kurti wants a crisis. That's why we have to rise quickly, in order to have the strength and faith to save the country," said Vucic.

When asked if there could be a conflict during the handover of power, Vucic said that he hoped that it would not happen, but also that what he hoped for did not mean anything.

Asked if there are any guarantees from international actors, he replied that both the EU and KFOR reacted fair regarding the bridge on the Ibar River.

He repeated that he always said the same thing in front of the media and the public as he did in meetings with international representatives, adding that the meeting with the "European five" on January 20 was one of the most difficult.

"When you see so many attacks on me, they are not attacks on me, they don't care about some Vucic. It is important to weaken Serbia. It is not me to be blamed for being unreasonable, but because I will not allow what they are proposing. That is why sometimes Serbia loses everything and others win, although this is not always the case," said Vucic.

He added that Serbia could not do without Europe, because 60 percent of its trade is with the EU, most investments come from the Union, while hundreds of thousands of people work in their factories.

He also stated that at every meeting he is under pressure to impose sanctions on Russia, while requests for Serbia to recognize Kosovo are made a little less often, but in a harsher tone.

"We will see, there will be talks at the technical level. I expect a difficult situation for our people in the region, especially in the talks with Pristina. There will be problems, but we are not running away from the conversation," Vucic said.