Serbian media are still extensively reporting on the call made by the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to initiate a nationwide dialogue on the Kosovo issue. Yesterday Serbian opposition parties, as reported by Danas daily, expressed different stances on the matter ranging from clear opposition to the dialogue to the possibility of giving it a chance. Novosti daily reported today that the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian Academy of Science and Arts are ready to get involved in the dialogue. This was stated in the Patriarchy of the Serbian Orthodox Church to Novosti that “the Church would gladly support the state leadership.” “One of the crucial places of the Serbian Orthodox Church is in Kosovo and Metohija. There are our most important sacral places and monasteries and it is very important that Serbia makes utmost efforts that it remains part of it. Also, it is important to help Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija to remain on their land and normalize their lives,” Novosti reported. Secretary General of the Serbian Academy of Science and Arts, Marko Andjelkovic stated it is an honor for this institution to receive a call from the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to express their opinion on topics important to our society. The public should bear in mind that members of the Academy are free thinking people, so you cannot request from the Academy to come up with a unified stance by over voting. Chief of the Serbian Assembly Committee for Kosovo and Metohija, Milovan Drecun stated that a consensus is needed to define a strategy in a situation when Serbia does not want to recognize Kosovo and Albanians accept nothing less than independence. Deputy Chair of the same Committee, Goran Bogdanovic from the opposition Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) stated that “he does not know what we would talk about now, when 90 percent of things are already resolved and Serbs are to the great extent integrated into Kosovo society. What could we fix now?” he asked. Leader of DSS Milos Jovanovic, stated he sees no reason why Vucic wants to open the dialogue, but he would not recognize the secession of Kosovo.

Vojisalv Seselj, leader of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS), expressed similar stance saying that “Kosmet would not be given up at no price.”