Vucic: Whoever caused the incident on the canal did not do it in Serbia's interest

Whoever caused the incident on the Ibar-Lepenac canal, regardless of nationality, did not act in the interest of Belgrade or Serbia, stated Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

In a statement to journalists after his meeting with new EU representatives, Vucic said that the recent incident on the Ibar-Lepenac canal was also discussed during the talks.

He emphasized that Serbia has no problem accepting the results of an investigation and that whoever committed this act did so without any regard for the interests of Belgrade or Serbia, irrespective of nationality.

“We are conducting our investigation, and I believe we will have results in the coming weeks,” Vucic assured.

Gërvalla's remarks to the European Parliament Committee lacked seriousness, but the world demands evidence

Commenting on the call by Kosovo Minister Donika Gërvalla to blame Serbia for the explosion on the Ibar-Lepenac canal, Vucic remarked that she was “saying whatever came to mind” regarding Serbia's involvement in the explosion. However, he noted that the international community is far more serious and demands evidence for such claims.

He explained to reporters that three individuals were “key” in allowing Gërvalla to address the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee.

“One was from the Green Party, another was Michael Gahler from the European People's Party, and the third was an Estonian from Kosovo. They enabled her to speak without giving us the chance to respond. And, as usual, she was firing bazookas with no regard for reality, but I don't think it made much impact,” Vucic said.

He added that their “non-paper” was shameful and “not very cleverly written.”

“Pretty poorly worded, ideologically akin to Enver Hoxha’s style—‘we hate them, and because we hate them, they’re guilty’… Without a shred of evidence,” Vucic pointed out.

He stressed that the international community is much more serious, as evidenced by their insistence on proof during the committee meeting.

“And, without going into details of what I heard today... As soon as we see evidence of anything, we will present it to the public. There is a lot of suspicious activity,” Vucic noted.

He reiterated that Belgrade, or anyone from Belgrade, had no involvement in the canal explosion near Zubin Potok and is ready to work with the international community to find, apprehend, arrest, and prosecute those involved.

“But I will not stoop to their level. That’s what sets us apart. We act responsibly and seriously, which is recognized here and elsewhere,” Vucic stated.

Serbia would meet all conditions for Cluster 3 if it imposed sanctions on Russia and recognized Kosovo

Discussing Serbia’s European integration and opening of Cluster 3, Vucic emphasized that Serbia could meet all conditions by imposing sanctions on Russia and recognizing Kosovo’s independence.

“For us, it is important to meet the established conditions, but if we were to impose sanctions on Russia, every door would open. And if we recognized Kosovo's independence, everything would be possible. But we’re not interested in that,” Vucic emphasized.

Serbia, he said, has pursued a policy that has proven beneficial for its citizens and the state.

“I don’t care who criticizes me. We’ve done this not for my personal interests but for Serbia’s interests. I won’t change the policy we started. It’s a good policy, and we must focus on results, not on who likes or dislikes us,” the Serbian president stated.

He added that he has been in politics for too long and is “too old” to change his convictions under any pressure.

“Serbia is not a handful of oats for anyone to manipulate or consume. They do their job, and we do ours. I haven’t come to beg anyone for anything. I’ve come to talk about Serbia’s position. If they want to, fine; if not, that’s fine too. We want to, but do they? We’ll see in a few days,” Vucic said.

Kallas insists on Serbia aligning its foreign policy with the EU, expected to visit Belgrade in February

Vucic reported numerous discussions in Brussels today.

“I spoke with Kaja Kallas, the new head of EU diplomacy. The conversation was open, frank, and not easy. She insisted on greater alignment of our foreign policy, particularly in imposing sanctions on Russia, continuing dialogue, being more willing to compromise with Pristina, and resolving the Banjska case. In line with Serbia’s policy, I responded accordingly,” he said.

Vucic said it is expected that Kallas will visit Belgrade in February.

He mentioned meeting with James O’Brien, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, and expressed hope for U.S. support in opening Cluster 3.

In discussions with Gert Jan Koopman, Director-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations at the European Commission, Vucic thanked him for advocating for the opening of Cluster 3, which would represent a turning point in Serbia’s European path.

“We analyzed the messages we need to send to improve our position,” Vucic added.

He also met with Miroslav Lajcak, the EU’s envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, who is expected to visit Belgrade in January.

“A new envoy is likely to be appointed. I think I know who it is, but let’s wait for the Europeans to announce it,” Vucic said.

He described his conversation with the new Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, as good and cordial, noting that her team includes Marko Makovec, “an old acquaintance.” He added that Kos is also expected to visit Belgrade soon.

Vucic also met with European Council President António Costa, with whom he had “a good and honest, open conversation.”

To conclude his day in Brussels, the Serbian president will attend a dinner for Western Balkan leaders, including Albin Kurti. “You can imagine how that will go,” he remarked.