Vucic: A necessary return to the 'status quo ante'

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, announced the measures that Serbia will take following a series of actions by the Kosovo authorities directed against the Serbian population in northern Kosovo. He stated that Serbia is in a difficult political situation regarding Kosovo and is seeking a return to the 'status quo ante'—to everything that was achieved and reached in the dialogue process.

"Serbia is in a difficult legal and political situation regarding Kosovo and Metohija. Economically, we are progressing very quickly and very well, but our most painful and difficult point is Kosovo and Metohija," the president said.

Before pointing out the specific measures, he stated that he wants to provide context in a few sentences for the decisions made today.

"Kosovo is the most precious word for every Serb, and at the same time, it is often used lightly, with an unbearable ease of irresponsibility, leading us to absurdity. Whatever measures we take, no one will ever be satisfied, except for a small number of rational people who are honest with themselves. Whatever we propose, in the end, everyone would be against it. Those who today call for armed conflict, the first day we invite them to the barracks, they would say it's too hard. Those who today call for independence, if we did that, they would say: 'You are traitors,'" Vucic said.

He added that there is no solution to the Kosovo issue that would be satisfactory for the Serbs.

"There is no miracle worker who could deliver that to the Serbs. I admit this, even though I am the president who has conducted the most negotiations. I know every Serbian village, I know all the problems. I know there is no good solution. I will not deceive anyone. The measures we adopted today are difficult, they require effort and work. They will face resistance. Will they satisfy anyone? Of course not," the president said.

He recalled that in 2006, Serbia witnessed the secession of Montenegro, which was the last condition for entering the final phase of Kosovo's separation from Serbia.

"Negotiations in Vienna also began, and the result of all of them is that Kosovo became independent. Overnight, in less than a year, 85 countries recognized Kosovo. By 2013, 112 countries recognized Kosovo's independence; that was the highest number. Only the strongest in the world and those with the same problems remain on our side," he said.

At that time, he says, the negotiations around the Brussels Agreement began, which he knew "would one day be held against us."

"Since then, I have participated in many discussions, and none of them were pleasant. But we tried to convey that Serbia stands for peace and dialogue. We strived to achieve peace and compromise and to develop the country. Amid all these events, we reached the 2013 Brussels Agreement, which was difficult for us, but a better one was impossible at the time. We received some guarantees. However, we have seen that the signatures of the EU and the Pristina side mean nothing—they are worthless. Since then, the situation for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija has worsened, with their silent and loud expulsion, as that is the only guarantee for Albanians that Kosovo will be free. This has been especially prominent in the era of Albin Kurti, and from now on, we will hear only worse news because they have elections ahead. In all this, we have no right to be disappointed with the West, but we must understand that their interests are different," Vucic said.

"Do you know how many official statements were made in the West about the shooting of Serbian children that we could find? Six, while 7,660 were about Banjska. This shows that the tears of our parents do not matter. They are not interested in the fate of our children; they view every one of our measures from the perspective of an independent Kosovo. There is not much we can do. We can support and strengthen our people. With all our strength and all our knowledge," the president added.

He stated that he is proud of the work of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, especially Minister Marko Djuric. He then spoke about the measures Serbia has adopted.

"We demand a return to the 'status quo ante' by removing the key consequences of the unilateral and uncoordinated actions of Kurti's regime, which is a necessary precondition for meaningful progress in the dialogue process. We seek to return to everything that was achieved and reached in the dialogue process. We demonstrate that we are more responsible than both the Pristina side and those who are the guarantors of that relationship. To this end, a global diplomatic campaign will be launched, conveying the expectation that seven necessary preconditions for progress in the dialogue be met in the shortest possible period, including:

• Holding free and democratic local elections in northern Kosovo and Metohija, with the participation of the OSCE and EU Mission;
• Implementing Article 9 of the First Brussels Agreement through the collective return of Serbs to the Regional Directorate of the North Kosovo Police;
• The return of Serbian judges and prosecutors to judicial functions;
• The withdrawal of special forces of the so-called Kosovo police from illegally built bases and checkpoints in northern Kosovo and Metohija, as well as their withdrawal from all institutions that, from 1999 until their illegal closure in 2024, provided vital public and administrative services to citizens.
• "The urgent, immediate, and final formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM), without further political tricks and games, as it has become clear that for 12 years, it was merely a tactic used to buy time with the goal that the CSM would never be formed, and to strip the Serbs of all their rights. This specifically means adopting the final Draft Statute of the CSM as envisioned by the Rules of Procedure of the Management Team, by democratically elected representatives of the Serbian community in northern Kosovo and Metohija;
• The immediate implementation of the guarantees by the European Union and the United States from December 28, 2022, and the immediate release of all political prisoners who were arrested by the so-called Kosovo police for their democratic, civil, or political activism—especially those who were arrested for participating in peaceful protests or barricades;
• The urgent enabling of uninterrupted payment and postal services. All of this is stipulated in the documents and agreements. The EU and the Quint have condemned these actions, and we call on them to adhere to what they have supported.

These demands will be conveyed in the upcoming international activities, which will include discussions and special events within the UN system and OSCE, as well as raising awareness about the violations of human rights of Serbs within the UN Human Rights Committee," Vucic stated.

Area of Special Social Protection

"It has been agreed that the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia will, within 45 days, adopt a law declaring the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija as an area of special social protection, which will guarantee the right to financial support for the unemployed. This law will also specifically regulate and restrict the trade of real estate," he said.

He also announced that by the end of November, he will meet with 60 world leaders and will discuss this matter with each of them.

"I will present decorations to those who supported us regarding the Srebrenica Resolution. We want to show them our gratitude. In the next 45 days, we will try to introduce a law declaring Kosovo and Metohija as an area of special social protection, which will include social assistance for the population. We will drastically increase aid to the population, targeting 5,000 unemployed individuals. We're talking about tens of millions of euros; when all is summed up, it's over a hundred million euros," he said.

He added that free textbooks have also been agreed upon for primary and secondary school students, as well as a snack supplement of 5,000 dinars.

"We will provide free construction materials for people who wish to build their private homes. We will employ 41 doctors, 59 medical and other staff, equip physiotherapy departments and kitchens, increase allowances for home care workers, encourage agricultural activities, build new kindergartens, and promote the development of sports, children, and youth, as well as rural tourism. We will expand the number of people who will receive benefits and support. We will make a significant difference. Every dinar will only go to those who live in Kosovo and Metohija. People have complained that all benefits and money are also received by those living elsewhere in Serbia. All these measures will apply only to those who live in Kosovo and Metohija. We will have constant control over how the funds from the state of Serbia are spent," he said.

Resilience of Serbian Institutions in Kosovo and Metohija

Serbian institutions and provisional bodies in Kosovo will neither be abolished nor closed, claims Vucic, explaining that this will prevent Albin Kurti from achieving his main political goal of expelling and completely eliminating Serbian institutions and Serbs from Kosovo.

"We will set up modern registry offices for our people in Kosovo and Metohija, which will be located one kilometer from Brnjak, and then in Rudica... They have shut down everything. You cannot get married, register a death... They have abolished the entire spectrum of certificate issuance and document verification. Serbs cannot do any of this. Is there anywhere else in the world where this happens? All the people working in Serbian institutions will continue to receive salaries, all 5,800 people will be paid," the president said.

Establishment of a Special Prosecutorial Body in Kosovo and Metohija

"It has been agreed that the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia will, within 45 days, adopt a law on the organization of the judicial authorities of the Republic of Serbia for the territory of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija, which will establish a special Prosecutor's Office for prosecuting abuses and violations of basic human rights, property usurpation, and endangerment of the physical integrity and dignity of the citizens of the Republic of Serbia in the area of Kosovo and Metohija. The Prosecutor's Office will have a special task to investigate and prosecute criminal and illegal acts by officials and representatives of the provisional institutions in Pristina," he said.

He added that state authorities in Serbia have not dealt sufficiently with Kosovo.

"In Belgrade, or rather, few in Belgrade truly care about Kosovo beyond idle talk in cafes or usual curses, especially within state bodies. State authorities have no time for Kosovo and Metohija, and that isn't just now. It has been our illness since 1945. Everything else is more important to us. Therefore, our state authorities, from the Ministry of Interior to the prosecutor's office and the judiciary, have never adequately dealt with the situation in Kosovo and Metohija. What does this mean? This will only last until the norms agreed upon and signed in Brussels are implemented and respected, along with adherence to the Brussels Agreement. So, we are filling this legal vacuum because, at this moment, we have no way of regulating the legal framework to pursue those involved in the persecution and expulsion of Serbs, those involved in harassment, mistreatment, beatings, and shootings of Serbs. This is something we will work on," he said.

He mentioned that special judicial panels and a special prosecutor's office will be established for this purpose.

"This will investigate and prosecute criminal and illegal acts committed by officials who carry out actions violating human rights against the Serbian population in Kosovo and Metohija. This will also include individuals of Serbian nationality who, on behalf of and for the benefit of the Albanian secret police, are conducting the persecution of Serbian people in the worst possible ways, participating in the expulsion of our population," Vucic stated.

Decision on the Illegality of All Institutions Formed After Declared Independence

He added that it has been agreed that the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia will, within 45 days, adopt a decision that declares the illegality of all organs and institutions formed in the territory of Kosovo after the declaration of independence, as well as the non-recognition of their acts.

"This will regulate that all activities, unilateral and uncoordinated acts of those organs, are legally non-existent and cannot produce legal consequences or have legal effect. A similar procedure was undertaken after the end of World War II, when a law declared the invalidity of legal regulations adopted before April 6, 1941, and during the enemy occupation," he said.

No Declaration of Occupation

He also addressed the question raised publicly about whether Serbia would declare the occupation of part of its territory, as this seemed like a great decision.

"We have not made a decision to declare an occupation, and I will explain why. Our legal experts were against it. The international administration in Kosovo was established with Serbia’s consent. Although certain rules of occupation could be applied by analogy, the regime established is unique. Even the formation of the so-called Kosovo Army and other formations does not lead to this being considered a part of the territory under occupation because the formation of such forces is illegal and contrary to Resolution 1244. If we were to declare an occupation, the armed groups in Kosovo, regardless of their name, would be granted the status of a legal armed force. Therefore, we must not give them the status of a legal armed force. That is the first and key reason why we are not declaring an occupation today. We will not give them legal legitimacy because they do not have it. What they have done is pure force. There is no legalization or legitimization, and that is why there is no decision on occupation. That is the main reason!" he stated.

As the second reason, he pointed out that wartime occupation is only possible in the context of international armed conflicts.

"This would mean that we recognize the territory of Kosovo and Metohija as the territory of another state. And we must not acknowledge that, which is why we are not applying the measures of occupation. Occupation is a term for an armed conflict between at least two states. True patriots will understand this because occupation is not a concept for conflicts within one state. Even recognizing an occupation would be a criminal offense," he announced.

Arrests in the North

The president also touched on the arrest of Serbian youths.

"I’ve heard them say that they attacked the Kosovo policemen? How do they do it? This is their modus operandi. They send a few thugs from South Mitrovica who strut around and provoke people coming out of cafes... Then a couple of others come and start threatening and cursing in Albanian. The Serbs have no idea that these are police officers. When the Serbs move toward them, they beat them up. They throw them in cars and hit them in the stomach, in the genitals... Just to avoid visible injuries. All these measures we have adopted, and on which we will continue to work and provide additional support, aim to help our people in Kosovo and Metohija. We do not want war. We want to fight for our rights peacefully. They will not stop doing this. They will reopen the bridge on the Ibar River, attack schools and hospitals. The more they attack, the more we will do for our people. And they can dream about their independence and UN membership. They can dream about that for decades. All they wanted was the persecution and harassment of Serbs," he said.

On the Return of the Army

Responding to a question about the return of up to 1,000 Serbian soldiers and police officers to Kosovo, Vucic said that Serbia's hands are "tied" because Kosovo has a powerful ally in NATO, but he announced that Serbia would again submit a request for the return of Serbian soldiers and police officers to Kosovo.

"They imagine there is no reason to form the Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM). I'm afraid they haven't calculated well. Will it be hard for our people in Kosovo and Metohija? It will. But we haven't heard of an indictment against the man who shot our two children on Christmas Eve? Nor was there an indictment for Dragisa Galjak, who was shot twice. Our authorities are conducting an investigation regarding Banjska; for us, that certainly isn't terrorism. Kurti's trip to the north was 'very successful.' It was a show of force. That’s how Hitler demonstrated that he could move anywhere. Kurti saw only one problem. He sat in that Albanian café, but no Serb had ever entered that café. Not even a street dog wanted to approach him. Neither to him nor to his entourage. Because they cannot subdue the spirit of the Serbian people. No Serb approached him. Not even a dog ran towards them. Zero. I am proud of the Serbian people. That is the spirit of an unconquered people, who will endure all of this," the president said.

When asked to comment on reports that Christopher Hill is on his payroll, Vucic said that Hill is "a man you can talk to."

"Do I agree with him on Kosovo and Metohija? Certainly not. Do I agree with him on many issues related to Republic of Srpska? Certainly not. But he is a man you can talk to openly and have tough conversations with. As for the payment claims, I found something else more interesting," Vucic said.