Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the representatives of the Kosovo Serbs, both from the south and from the north, asked from him
to leave all the Kosovo institutions and added that he asked them to wait for an answer for a maximum of 45 days, in order to have the opportunity to speak with the Chinese President and other world leaders.
At a press conference after a meeting with political representatives of Serbs from Kosovo, Vucic said that Serbia and the Serbian people in Kosovo are in a very difficult situation, almost identical to 2004 and 2008, primarily due to taxes on imports of goods from Serbia , seizure of trucks with Serbian goods, and the adoption of the new Statute of the Trepca mine, which could mean blocking the account of that company and could result in a loss of work for 2,400 people from the north.
“The story of unifying northern and southern Mitrovica is a direct threat to our people, and people say that this could only be with violence,” Vucic said, adding that the Serbs therefore decided to ask him to talk to the Serbian government about their withdrawal from all Kosovo institutions.
According to him, it would mean that representatives of the Serbs, both from the north and from the south, would leave parliaments and local governments, police forces, the prosecution and the entire judicial system of Kosovo.
“I asked Serb representatives I do not answer them today, and in the next month and a half, until the meeting with the president of China, I want to speak to all important leaders, because if this kind of defensive action continues in Pristina, we will be in an hopeless situation,” said Vucic and added that he was surprised by the resolve of the Serbs to leave institutions, even by people who are get their salaries in those institutions and is their only income.
Speaking about the formation of the Kosovo Army, Vucic said that Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj is lying when he says that 40 Serbs applied for the job in that formation.
“Haradinaj is lying that there are 40 of them. Let him show those 40. He will not show them. There’s not even half of that number, and I will not tell you what they were offering, and blackmailing, to find Serbs who would shoot Serbs. I urge all Serbs not to go in that army because it only serves to attack the Serbs. Everyone should get out of that so-called army,” Vucic said.
He reiterated that Belgrade will continue to advocate for a policy of peace and stability, and that it was up to him to discuss with the Government of Serbia what’s next to be done, because Serbia is “left alone, in the lurch”.
