Office for Kosovo and Metohija
Government of the Republic of Serbia

Vucic: Significantly fewer incidents following Brussels Agreement

We will be living next to the Kosovo Albanians for the another one thousand years and therefore we should work together for the benefit of both sides, seeking the best possible policy framework, without harming our national interests, said Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić today..

"We have to find solutions to certain issues. And even though I know that it’s unpopular in Serbia as well, we have to understand that we live, if not with each other, then next to each other. And so we will in the next one thousand years," Vučić told the press in Brussels after the meeting he had with the head of EU diplomacy Federica Mogherini.

"Anyone who thinks we should wage wars and enter into conflicts is not very smart, in my book, and does not wish good to our country," Vučić said.

The Prime Minister said that the issue of formation of Community of Serbian Municipalities is the most difficult one, but is also the essence of the Brussels agreement. However, it is not easy for the Albanians to implement it at this point of time.

"It’s important to push things forward and see how we wish to strategically to resolve them," Vučić said.

The Prime Minister disagreed with the journalistic statement that the Brussels Agreement was a "dead letter", although, as he said, it would be easy to say so, bearing in mind that six out of 15 counts of the Brussels Agreement pertain to the Community of Serbian Municipalities, which has indeed not yet been formed due to persistent obstructions in Priština.

"We should not forget that our discussions and what we signed, even the part that has not been carried out in practice, has led to the significantly fewer incidents between the Serbs and Albanians annually, less than between the Serbs in Belgrade. It indicates that the talks have yielded certain results, that people know that we opted for peaceful means, and that it is only through dialogue that problems can be solved," Vučić explained.

Vučić pointed out that Serbia wants the best possible policy framework, one which will enable financial profit while not harming our national interests.

When asked about the allegations of Kosovo's Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj, who stated that he expected that one of the issues in the dialogue would be the demarcation of the boundary line between Serbia and so-called Kosovo, the Prime Minister said he did not want to comment on the statements of Pristina official, adding that their statements have nothing to do with EU accession and are intended for the internal needs of the Albanian population in Kosovo.

He stated that the Belgrade and Pristina teams would soon meet, in order to resolve some technical issues, such as the number of base stations for mobile operators.

"It is technical issues that are now pending. We have a good agreement, good both for the Serbs and for the Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija. Everyone is satisfied with it, and we only need to resolve technical issues now, "said Vučić.

At the same time, he added, resolution of these issues would be a good political signal, because "people in Serbia should understand that only by a synergy of good messages, politics and our image in Brussels, Moscow, Washington, Beijing and other places, can attract more foreign investors".

"It means that the arrival of investors, more factories, economic growth, GDP growth, does not depend only on internal economic reforms. It's all intertwined," Vučić underlined, stressing that that was the reason why Serbia was more successful, or less unsuccessful, than the rest over the past year and a half.

Asked whether the next dialogue at the highest level was scheduled, Vučić reiterated that the meeting was about resolving specific issues and not about scheduling meetings.