Vucic: I see no reason to talk with a man who only wants to provoke a conflict

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, pointed out today, after talks with the High EU Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and the EU Envoy for Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak that at the moment he did not see any reason to talk with Albin Kurti, a man who only wanted to provoke a conflict.

He said that he had always come to every meeting because it was important to talk and to overcome any problem by talking.

"At this moment, I don't see any reason to talk with a man who provokes every day and wants to cause a conflict," Vucic said.

He believes that it would only bring additional damage and is pointless.

"I listened to everything that the High Representative and the Envoy for Dialogue had to tell us. I understand their will to de-escalate the situation, that is, to solve problems through talks. I said that, as always, we would do everything we could to participate in that process." Vucic told reporters.

He said that the biggest problem for Serbia was not one single situation, but the fact that for the third year in a row, the regime of Albin Kurti was trying to expel the Serbs, scare them, and remove them from their homes.

"It doesn't matter which action is chosen, whether beating people, fabricating elections and giving legitimacy with a total turnout of 3.4 percent, or banning the entry of Serbian trucks," the President added.

Vucic added that today he had presented a special report on the injuries of people who had been arrested and who were being prosecuted for hooliganism and terrorism.

"For some, NATO and EULEX said that they did not know that they had been arrested. Even one Albanian doctor did not want to sign what happened, saying that only beasts could have done it. This shows how a nation is being persecuted, which only wants to be on its own land," he emphasized.

Vucic said that Serbia would continue to talk daily; because he believed that peace and stability were necessary, but also added that the Serbs were in a difficult position because they did not want to suffer Kurti's terror.

He pointed out that he was always ready, as he had been until now, to talk with EU representatives.

"I said that I always came to every conversation; I think that dialogue is beneficial and healing; that it is important to talk, and that we always overcome every problem by talking. However, at this moment, I don't see any reason to talk to a man who provokes every day and wants to cause conflict because that is his fanatical ideology. I think it would only bring additional damage and I think that is the reason why I considered it and I consider it pointless," Vucic said.

Vucic points out that it must be understood that Kosovo "did not appear from thin air" but that it was being created for a long time and that for the majority of EU countries, it is an independent state.

"Kosovo did not appear from thin air; for the majority of countries it is an independent country, it is their ‘child’, they looked after it while it was in the cradle and now their teenager is a little mischievous and has reached crazy years, that's how they think about it," the President said.

He said that the Serbs had to know that Serbia's position was very difficult and that everything that applied to Ukraine did not apply to Serbia.

He said that there was no criticism for the representatives of the international community because these people were blamed for doing their job in impossible conditions.

"We need to satisfy the member states that want to blame Serbia for something, and what should those people to do and what should they blame Serbia for. We should try to be fair and preserve stability," he said.

When asked by journalists whether it was possible to fulfill Belgrade's demands, Vucic emphasized that it was not about any demands and ultimatums, but that Serbia was only looking for a normal relationship.

He pointed out that the hunt for the Serbs continued every day in Kosovo and people were arrested "by mistake".

"No one, neither you nor anyone, knows why Dusan Obrenovic was arrested, or why Rados Petrovic was arrested. Not even EULEX knows that. Aside from the fact that these people were beaten, one of them was brutally beaten, I guess it bothered them that he was of the Orthodox faith, which he was not always, so they beat him even more. We all have footage, both NATO and EULEX, of those people sitting there, only to be dragged outside and taken to the Police station, where they are beaten almost to death," Vucic said.

When asked by a journalist if a step had been taken towards de-escalation after today's meeting, Vucic said that he could not comment on that because he had not attended the meeting with Borrell and Kurti.

He believes that the representatives of the international community have done everything in their power to understand what is happening on the ground.

"A lot depends on Mr. Borrell and us, and much more on those who were not interested in peace, and stability, but tried to cause riots with daily provocations. It's always good when you hear someone out when you try to clarify something. I don't see any harm from the meeting, if something happens great, if not, no harm no foul. We have to do everything in our power, to make an effort to understand how important it is, and those who don't understand it, I can't help them," Vucic said.

When asked by journalists what the results of the meeting were and whether further steps had been agreed upon, Vucic pointed out that he could not confirm that a schedule had been agreed upon or a road map.

"The real problem is that we always have someone to blame, and after everything, it's hard to find solutions. We talked about the problems today, which was useful, and we don't know what will happen on the ground tomorrow because when we had kilometers of trucks with Serbian license plates on the administrative lines, someone said that it was because of the safety and security, not because it was about Serbian goods," he said.

He adds that on the other hand, 12 Serbian citizens were arrested who were arrested for nothing.

"And not only that, but we also have attacks on civilians that they call hooligans, and for which there are recordings and photos that it is not so. But nobody cares about that. I have not refused to meet anyone, people from the EU know that I am always available, last night I spoke with the European envoy around midnight, 15 minutes after midnight, and every day in the previous days, because what Serbia has done in terms of economic progress, 63 percent of investment in the region was won by Serbia, we care not to lose it, but someone must understand that the people of Kosovo and Metohija are disappointed, dissatisfied, threatened, it is better for them to understand that today, than tomorrow, but that does not depend on me, people will have to live along with others, but someone has to understand that," Vucic concluded.

When asked if anyone currently had the key to solving the situation in Kosovo, Vucic expressed his fear that everything had gone too far and that people had not understood what he had warned about in previous years.

"Now many see it, but they are afraid of the main guardians of the 'cradle' and unruly teenagers. That is what the political problem is, but there is nothing else left to do. In life, you can understand something, something you can't, whatever it is; you have to face the consequences of something you don't like, so we have nowhere to go. We have to be with our people in Kosovo and Metohija," Vucic said.

He stated that international public law, the UN Charter, and Resolution 1244 also had to be respected.

Vucic emphasizes that it was extremely difficult for him to address people from Kosovo whose family members had been arrested.

"What should I say to the people in Gracanica, what should I say to the wife of Dragisa Milenkovic, whom they arrested, for whom they fabricated everything, and whom everyone says is one of the best people? Do you think it is possible to gather so many people in Gracanica, and you know that they are in a completely Albanian environment? This means that these people fear for their lives and for their children. I can only say that we are together with them and that I know how much more difficult it is for them than everyone else in Belgrade, Kragujevac, and other cities in Serbia," Vucic said.

According to him, everything necessary will be done to preserve peace and to return those people to their homes and families.