Vucic: We can discuss everything but Kosovo's recognition and UN membership

“I told this to (French President Emmanuel) Macron, and to (German Chancellor Olaf) Scholz in Munich, and to all the big leaders, and (European Union, EU, Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav) Lajcak and (EU High Representative Josep) Borrell also know this, and I also repeated it yesterday. The thing is that I do not want to and there can be no discussion on mutual recognition, recognition and Kosovo’s membership in the UN,” Vucic told the Serbian state TV (RTS) commenting on the talks with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti held Monday in Brussels.

Vucic said he was open to discussions on everything else.

“Not just because it only leads us further down our European path, which is important, but also because that is good for the relations between the Serbs and the Albanians. There are many items in there that are important,” said the Serbian President commenting the EU Proposal - Agreement on the path to normalization between Kosovo and Serbia.

Vucic said the implementation roadmap was not agreed on at the Monday meeting in Brussels, but that Serbia’s position is that it cannot include recognition of Kosovo’s independence and its membership in the UN.

He explained that the European proposal has de facto become a framework for a non-negotiable negotiation process but stressed that, while he is president, he will not sign or accept either formal or informal recognition of Kosovo or its membership in the UN.

The President emphasized that the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM) has to be the first item in the implementation roadmap and that other topics can only be discussed after that. He did, however, express doubt that Pristina would form the CSM in the near future.

Asked if anyone at the meetings in Brussels told Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti that the CSM has to be established, Vucic said: “They all tell him and he says that he has promised the people not to fulfill this and we are again in a stalemate.”

By rejecting the European proposal Serbia would become a pariah state

Vucic cautioned that, by fully rejecting the European proposal, Serbia would become a “pariah state.”

“Conspiracy theories are ‘incredibly popular’ here (in Serbia), people say we are secretly negotiating, we never did anything secretly, we never hid anything (…) This proposal came as Macron’s and Scholz’s idea. They brought the paper, there was no possibility for negotiations, they said: ‘Take it or leave it’,” explained the Serbian President.

He said it was important to consider the consequences of rejecting the plan: “suspended European integration, and that means the end of further investments, increased unemployment, and we have about 80,000 people working in German companies alone,” said Vucic.

Reacting to some politicians’ accusations that he did “nothing” about the European proposal, Vucic said that he presented to international representatives “Serbia’s non paper” on resolving the Kosovo issue.

“Here’s our six-page reply, our non paper, based on international law. This was presented to international representatives,” said Vucic showing the paper to the reporter.