Vučić: “We will face difficult times, but Russia will not abandon us”
The Russian Foreign Minister arrived in Belgrade, where, among other things, he discussed with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic the difficult situation around Kosovo and the anniversary of the Dayton Agreements on Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Lavrov and Vucic announced this at a briefing following the meeting, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“The key topic for us was our relationship on the international stage and Russia’s support for the integrity of Serbia and the situation in Kosovo,” Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told reporters following the meeting. – I don’t want to hide anything from the Serbian public, obviously we are facing a very difficult period associated with serious pressure on us...
We agreed that we would talk and exchange experiences almost every day. And one thing is clear: for any decision (on Kosovo - ed.) the consent of the Russian Federation and the UN Security Council is necessary... I am grateful to Mr. Lavrov, President Putin, for personal participation, for personal support, they are always close to their Serbian friends, and we We appreciate it."
The Serbian President also noted that this year will mark the 25th anniversary of the Dayton Accords, when, after NATO bombed Bosnian Serb positions, the United States brought the parties to the BIG conflict to the negotiating table and imposed a semi-colonial form of statehood on them.
However, even they guaranteed the autonomy of the Republika Srpska within BiH, which now, a quarter of a century later, the West is trying to abolish and label the Bosnian Serbs as a “genocidal people.”
“There will be further attempts to label the Serbian people, and my friend (Sergei Lavrov – ed.) and I also talked about this,” Vucic noted. – Today I also asked for Russian support for the Serbian Orthodox Church, whose survival in the region is under threat. The arrival of President Putin to the opening of the majestic Cathedral of St. Sava will not only mean an impetus for cultural and religious ties, but will also further strengthen the position of both our country and the Serbian Church.
In any case, I want to tell my people: difficult times await us, we must be strong, we must be united, and only by uniting can we protect and preserve what is dear to us. When I talk about difficult times, this means the most difficult times in the last 10-12 years since the recognition of Kosovo’s independence, after they declared themselves and were recognized by more than 90 countries of the world. We are always ready to compromise, but only without any ultimatums in our direction.”
In turn, Sergei Lavrov recalled that Moscow is expecting President Vucic in Moscow at the celebrations dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Victory, and that a company of the honor guard of the Serbian armed forces will take part in the Victory Parade on Red Square.
“We exchanged views on the Kosovo issue,” the Russian Foreign Minister emphasized. – It remains unresolved. Russia proceeds from the fact that the European Union, which has a mandate from the UN General Assembly to play the role of mediator in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, should not withdraw from its responsibilities and must fulfill them effectively and achieve the implementation of those decisions that were taken earlier, in particular the agreement on the creation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities of Kosovo, which was reached between Belgrade and Pristina through the mediation of the European Union and which is now openly sabotaged by the Kosovo-Albanian side.
The Russian position is unchanged; any initiatives will be supported that will actually help Belgrade and Pristina reach a viable mutually acceptable solution based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244. At Russia's insistence, this resolution confirmed the territorial integrity of Serbia.
The solution we all want to achieve must be in accordance with international law and must be approved by the UN Security Council. It would be counterproductive to force final normalization, to fit it into artificial deadlines. We will only agree with a decision that, as President Putin has said more than once, will suit the Serbs themselves, who are defending their legitimate rights and interests in Kosovo.”
To the tricky question of a representative of the Serbian liberal media whether Moscow would agree with Serbia’s decision to recognize Kosovo in response to any preferences for this country, the President of Serbia gave a clear and intelligible answer.
“If you are talking about the situation when Kosovo joins the UN, and Serbia gets something, for example, becomes a member of the EU, then know that our answer will be “No!” added Aleksandar Vucic.
English version :: Read in English Vučić: "We face difficult times, but Russia will not abandon us"