VIENNA – Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has noted that Serbia is a pillar of stability in the region and that the country is doing its best when it comes to the negotiation process with Pristina.
In an interview to Vienna-based daily Der Standard ahead of his Wednesday visit to Austria, Vucic said that after the agreement was signed in April last year, much has been implemented, and that recently a final, very important agreement on the judiciary was reached.
Concerning the forthcoming parliamentary elections in Kosovo-Metohija, Vucic said that there is no doubt that Serbia has never called for a boycott of the vote, which is very important.
He explained that he is in talks with the Serb population in Kosovo, adding that a community of Serb municipalities will be formed over the course of the next month.
Vucic noted that his first visit abroad was a visit to Sarajevo, with a view to supporting the integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH), although Serbia has special relations with Republika Srpska, one of the two entities in BiH.
The Serbian prime minister said that Belgrade has excellent relations with Macedonia too.
I believe that Serbia is becoming a pillar of stability, contrary to what it was before. We are doing our best to secure stability in the region and I am sure that we are doing a good job, he underscored.
Asked whether he is in favor of major EU enlargement through the entry of all Western Balkan countries, the Serbian prime minister said that our country is worse than others in many aspects, but also better in many fields, and that he would like Serbia to be assessed individually.
Serbia will do its best to complete its journey toward the EU by 2019, Vucic said, underlining that everything does not depend on Serbia alone, but also on Germany, Austria and other EU members, whether they will admit Serbia or not.
Speaking about the recent severe flash floods in Serbia, the prime minister said that the state reacted well, and now parts of the country need to be repaired, especially in central and western Serbia, and that the relief funds need to be spent in the most transparent way possible.
In relation to Ukraine, Vucic said that Serbia backs the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country as a UN member state, which is in line with the EU values and the Copenhagen decisions, and all other international rules.
Vucic noted that Serbia did not impose sanctions on Russia, stating many economic and political reasons, but added that this does not mean that Serbia supports all moves that the country is making.
