Vucic: Serbia is a sovereign country that Kosovo is not and never will be

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, said that at today's Brdo-Brijuni Process Summit, the Western Balkans and the path to the EU had been discussed and that the controversial issues and problems with Kosovo had been left for Thursday in Brussels.

In a statement to journalists after the plenary session in Skopje, Vucic said that the hosts had tried to find several common denominators.

"We talked about the future. Some are more enthusiastic, some a little less. The discussion went correctly, there were no big arguments since we left our problems with Pristina for Thursday in Brussels," he explained.

He said that today there had been talk about the path of the Western Balkans to the EU, what could be demanded from the roaming initiative, all the way to participation in the common market.

"In the declaration, it is written that they would like to gain membership in the EU sooner, by 2030 at the latest. Those are nice wishes, but who am I to destroy the optimism of some others. It was mine to accept. It's great if that's the case, and if it's going to be…” he said.

He said that the meeting was good because the leaders had expressed their thoughts and had discussed economic opportunities and problems in the coming period, such as the rise in oil prices.

"We have a busy week ahead of us, going to Hungary if I make it, and certainly a trip to Brussels, if I get to Ljubljana, then New York for the UN General Assembly, where I will have many meetings," Vucic said.

He pointed out that it was interesting to him that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti thought that it was possible that he had the right to ask a third party to use a "whip" against anyone and pointed out that the difference between Serbia and Kosovo was that Serbia was a sovereign state, while Kosovo it will never be.

He thus commented on Kurti's statement that "it is impossible to separate Serbia from Russia without a whip" and pointed out that Serbia itself decided on the introduction of sanctions against anyone.

"It is interesting to me how some people think that it is possible for them to have the right to ask third parties to use the whip against anyone, against a sovereign state. Since he is so strong and so powerful and wants to determine the fate of all the nations of Europe, I do not know why he doesn't use that whip and show how he would deal with anyone,"  Vucic said.

He states that it is shameful for someone who considers himself a leader of anyone to use such vocabulary.

"We decide on sanctions ourselves, and that's where we differ from Pristina. And that's not about Russia or Ukraine, but about sovereignty. Serbia is a sovereign country, which they are not and will never be," Vucic concluded.

"Croatia and Slovenia can't do much without Berlin and Paris"

When asked about today's Summit in Skopje, Vucic said that it was always good to talk, but that one could not expect that Croatia and Slovenia could do much without Berlin and Paris.

"I don't know what you expect, that a decision will be made? There will be concrete decisions for Ukraine by the end of the year and Moldova will get a date. And we ‘orphans’ from the Balkans will see how it goes," he said.

Vucic pointed out that it was important for the region to develop and that the key question was whether we were developing at a sufficient speed because whether the citizens would return to us and emigration would be stopped depended on that. He said that faster accession to the EU could not be expected.

"There will be no quick acceptance. Today, the EU has 27 countries - 10 net contributors and 17 dependents. Those 17 will not allow themselves to share money with others, and 10 net contributors will not support further countries. The absorption power of the EU must increase. But all that is not decisive for Serbia's progress. Some think that we can enter the EU in 2026. As a political veteran, I don't want to lie to my people. We can dig deeper and they won't accept us in 2026, 2027, or 2028," he underlined.

Asked about the danger that Serbia, as is the case with North Macedonia, be blocked by some country on its way to the EU, he explained that someone would always come up with something.

He pointed out that Serbia loved the Macedonians, respected the state of North Macedonia, and was not asking for anything, but only wanted to preserve that friendship.

"At this meeting, I said that I think it was important for us from the region to be closer to each other, to reduce the procedures between us, to be the ones who would reach the rest of Europe with our growth rate, and to reduce the difference. I hope that this will come across more and more fertile ground. I have always said countless times on all forums that Serbia recognized the Macedonian language, the territory of North Macedonia, and the church. We have no problem," Vucic explained.

Vucic to Croatia and Bulgaria: Mind your own business, don't meddle in Serbia's politics

Commenting on the statement of the head of Croatian diplomacy, Gordan Grlic Radman, in Sofia that Serbia had to impose sanctions on Russia, Vucic told Croatia and Bulgaria to take care of their own concerns and not interfere in Serbia's politics.

"How did they remember to talk about Serbia having to impose sanctions on Russia? Of all the topics, a Croat and a Bulgarian are talking about what Serbia should do," Vucic noted.

He asked them not to interfere in Serbian politics.

"Come on, you have enough of your troubles and problems; you Bulgarians worry about what you are going to do in your country, and Croats, you worry about what you are going to do in your country, and don't interfere in the affairs of Serbia and pretend to be very smart," the President of Serbia said.
Earlier today in Sofia, at a press conference with his Bulgarian colleague Mariya Gabriel, Grlic Radman said that Serbia, as well as other countries of the Western Balkans, which had opted for the European Union, had to follow the principles and foreign policy of the EU, which also applied to the condemnation of the Russian aggression and EU sanctions against Moscow, due to aggression against Ukraine.
A response about the election after returning from New York

Vucic also stated that he would respond to the opposition, which today had submitted an official request for the calling of extraordinary parliamentary and Belgrade elections, after returning from New York, from the United Nations General Assembly.

"After returning from New York and another important meeting in Belgrade, I dedicate myself to them (the opposition). I believe that they know that I will do my best to make them rejoice, to make them happy so that they can say that they have won," Vucic told reporters in Skopje and added that he was only interested in what had happened, so there had been a "Copernican twist" and the opposition was now seeking elections.

He added that he would give them an answer in oral and written form.

Vucic also said that he was not afraid of "threats" on the street, because, he said, political action was not based on the street.

"If the street is going to be the place where decisions are made, then democracy does not exist in Serbia. Decisions are made in the institutions of the system, and representatives of the institutions are elected in elections. That's the only way decisions are made about the future of the country," Vucic said.
When asked about the mocking of price restrictions on certain foods, and especially the Pariser salami, Vucic said that he would personally, together with ministers Sinisa Mali and Tomislav Momirovic, buy Pariser salami, make and eat sandwiches, in order to show that neither he nor the Government were ashamed of those measures, which they brought for the sake of the citizens.

"We tried to show concern for the people, that is a serious topic for me. We do not play with the people, but we care and think of the citizens," Vucic said.

As he says, a part of the opposition mocks those measures, because they also use it for criticism, in order to come to power.

"They are also bothered by 20,000 Serbian dinars for pensioners and a 16 percent salary increase for educators. Everything bothers them because they just want to come to power. You will definitely have the opportunity soon, and you are the big favorites," Vucic said and ironically added that the people surely enjoyed when the opposition stomped on the benches in the parliament, whistled, and shouted.

"And when you explain to the people how wonderful it was when people had an average salary of 320 euros and how it is wrong for the salary to be 840 euros and how wonderful it is that the minimum wage is 152 euros, not 400 euros. And that the pension is 202 euros and not 330 euros," Vucic said.