Vucic: I will not implement the recognition and Kosovo in the UN; there will be many more discussions

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, said this evening that there had been no agreement in Brussels yesterday and that there would be many more talks.

"It is important for me to try to tell people in Serbia what we are doing and what has been happening for several months so that people understand the overall picture because it is not just a question of one member, one paper, and one meeting," Vucic told RTS.

He said that a conversation had been held in Brussels yesterday.

"We didn't agree yesterday, we agreed to talk. There will be many more talks, nothing more than that, happened yesterday," Vucic explained.

Scholz and Macron did not ask anyone anything

He emphasized that he had said unequivocally in every place that it was not possible to discuss the recognition of Kosovo or Pristina's membership in the UN

Vucic pointed out that he had said very clearly last night in Brussels, as well as previously to French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Munich, that Serbia was ready to work on the implementation of many things, but that we could not discuss the recognition of so-called Kosovo and Pristina's membership in the United Nations.

"For everything else, I am open to talk, not only because of Serbia’s path to the E but because it is good for the relations between the Serbs and Albanians, to talk and negotiate," Vucic said.

He pointed out that there were important items in the proposal, such as the opening of administrative crossings for the free flow of people, goods, capital, and services, customs stamps, and license plates so that the Serbs and Albanians could live peacefully so that no one ever shot at Serbian children in Kosovo.

"But, key issues concerning the Constitution, the state of Serbia, as I have unequivocally said in every place, there are no talks about recognition, nor Kosovo in the UN. That's why I didn't even sign anything," Vucic stressed.

He added that he had told the truth every time so far, and had not hidden anything from the public, even when that plan, now European, had appeared.

He reminded that the plan had come as an idea of Macron and Scholz, who had come to Belgrade, brought a piece of paper, and had not asked anyone, they had just said - take it or leave it.

"Each of us who has any emotion and pride would say - get away from here, but when you lead the country, you can't just be guided by that. You have to think about the consequences," Vucic said.

They threatened to withdraw investments

He added that it had been clearly presented to him that the consequences were the halting of European integration, which also meant the cessation of further investments, which implied a reduction in the level of employment.

"They directly mentioned the withdrawal of investments, and many other comprehensive measures, including that Serbia would become isolated from the world," Vucic said.

When asked if they had also told Pristina that, he said that he didn’t know, but that he did not believe in it.

"I don't believe it, because whatever Pristina does, they have to protect it. And yesterday part of my team thought that they would come out with the announcement that Kurti is not ready for the CSM, but I knew that it wouldn't happen," Vucic said.

He added that Belgrade had reacted to the proposal of Macron and Scholz, and sent remarks, but the envoys returned with "cosmetic changes".

"And then they said, either - or. I then said unequivocally that it was important to talk because when you are at the negotiating table, your fate cannot be decided without you, and when you are not... We would suffer severe consequences like in the 90s," Vucic said.

The President of Serbia emphasized that no agreement signed with Pristina was hidden and instructed everyone to look at the website of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija for all the agreements that had been signed so far.

I don't hide anything from people

Vucic added that he did not hide anything when it came to the Franco-German plan and added that he had only read the worst parts to the citizens, even though the proposal contained good things.

"There are also good parts, which concern the Serbian Orthodox Church, and the CSM. But, no, I only read the worst parts, I have nothing to hide from people, it was brought to us, and we were told whether we wanted it or not. French citizen Milos Jovanovic alone announced that Vucic was a traitor and that he wanted to carry out the secession of Kosovo, only two days later he says that nothing has been signed, such as the fact that I said that nothing will be signed", the president stated.

As he says, the High EU Representative, Josep Borrell, also spoke very vaguely after the conversation because he could not say that he had accepted something.

"I talked about the concept and the framework, we are always ready to talk and that would lead to normalization. We need the normalization of relations with the Albanians, but that has nothing to do with the whole show of violence in the parliament prepared in advance, with all the choreography with weapons until that 'you will sign '," Vucic says.

He added that the opposition would say “you didn't sign now, but you'll let Ana Brnabic sign, so you won't let her sign either, but it's still a kind of betrayal", and pointed out that it's easier for the Serbs to believe that the CIA had caused the earthquake in Turkey.

"I'm fed up with the talk, you don't know what's written in the Brussels Agreement, and just imagine what's written in the Washington Agreement. Here you talked about conspiracy theories and what's behind secret negotiations - guests, and journalists helped a little," the president said.

When asked about the provision of the proposal, which states that Serbia is expected not to block Kosovo in the process of membership in international organizations, Vucic said that was why he had not signed anything.

Asked what were the chances of the proposal changing, and he answered - none.

"That's why we need to make an implementation plan, a road map. Let's agree on what we're implementing. I'm not going to implement the recognition of Kosovo, or membership in the UN. We're making an implementation plan, that's why Lajcak will come to Belgrade and Pristina, when he comes, we'll do something; I'm ready to discuss everything, but I'm not going to sign it, and I've said that countless times," Vucic repeated.

When asked what Serbia would do, the president said that such questions forced him to reveal at all costs what the country was working on, so that all those who were against Serbia could come up with the best possible plan, because people in Serbia did not trust, because they had to have a culprit, not a creditor.

There are no sanctions because we are talking

"We will work on the implementation plan of how to arrange regional representation, customs stamps, how to arrange the freedom and flow of goods, capital, and services, what are the extraterritorial rights and special rights for the Serbian Orthodox Church," Vucic said.

When asked what would happen to the proposal, he said: "Nothing, they will keep it as a framework because it has de facto become a framework for the negotiation process."

"I will not participate in the implementation of the arranged things and I have told everyone that. While I am the president of Serbia, I will not accept formal or informal recognition of Kosovo, nor entry into the UN," the Serbian president repeated.

Asked what would happen on March 18 or 24, which were mentioned as deadlines, he said that on March 18, the head of the European diplomacy was going to North Macedonia, where he had invited the representatives of Belgrade and Pristina.

"A man goes there on a trip, he said to meet him while he's on that trip... to say what we're doing, and if we don't do enough, they won't open clusters for us, and if we do, they'll open clusters for us," Vucic said.

When asked if there was a fear of sanctions, Vucic replied that at least for a while there was no such fear - because they were talking, but that there would be pressure.