Kosovo will be the most important topic during my visit to the United States – the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic told RTS today. Commenting on Grennel’s criticism of Albin Kurti’s decision to partially scrap taxes, while such a decision was welcomed by the EU, he says: “The EU sees a major ally in Kurti, so the EU supported his announcement of conditional and partial abolition of the tax without waiting for Serbia’s reaction.”
He revealed that in addition to the Kosovo issue, the relations between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, or Republika Srpska, will also be an important topic during his stay across the ocean.
Participating in a meeting of the US-Israeli Public Affairs Committee in Washington will be a great honor for Serbia, Vucic said in his interview with RTS shortly before heading to the US.
„It is a great honor for us. But if I told you how much effort certain well-known congressmen, senators – who are Albanian lobbyists – made to have Hashim Thaci and some others participate in the AIPAC – and failed in doing so – you will be more able to understand what a great honor it is for our country.”
This meeting will be of importance to Serbia as, in addition to representatives of the (Israeli) Jewish community, it will also be attended by two-thirds of Congress members, as well as US Vice President, Michael Pence and Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.
„Everyone will be there and I will meet with almost everyone,“ Vucic said.
Vucic will meet with Richard Grenell, whom he described as a man of „the utmost importance for Serbia“; Vucic is set to meet with Mr. Palmer, Mr. Pompeo, Mr. O’Brien, and Austrian Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz. He also announced that he would visit the Pentagon.
Europeans have never reacted faster
Addressing the issue of taxes with Kurti’s latest announcement to abolish them on certain conditions and only partially, he spoke on the differences in the EU’s and US’s approach.
„You can see from this that the EU rushed with this statement, they did not wait. They reacted before we did. Everyone on our side was silent. Surprisingly, there was discipline. Everyone was silent until we took a good look and we presented our position after.”
„They have never been so quick (to react),“ he said, adding that it “was obviously agreed upon in Pristina, through mediators, through everyone else – what their reaction should be so that this move is commended.“
„The European Union sees a great ally in Kurti and those who supported his election, and those who I cannot say that they were tax-friendly, those who did not want to do anything against the Pristina decision to introduce taxes. They thought that it would crush Serbia even more, that it would ruin Serbia’s economic growth. Despite the taxes, Serbia was a country with the highest growth rate – alongside Hungary – not only in the Western Balkans, but throughout the whole of Southeast Europe. So, those who planned it failed.”
On the other hand, Vucic praised Grenell over his “correct statement,” as well as Pompeo’s statements. Although he has no hopes or illusions that he will change the American attitude towards Kosovo, the Serbian President will still try to change their more broad point of view.
„If we can’t turn Americans into people who will support us in everything, we will turn them into people who will not be against us in everything,“ he emphasized.
EU advises to accept Kurti’s decision, but we are not the dumbest people on the planet
Speaking about the past almost 15 months of no trade, Vucic underlined that Serbia lost a position on the market and was damaged by almost €500 million – he noted.
According to Vucic, the reason why they would now like to abolish the taxes on raw materials is because Kosovo businessmen objected.
„’But if Belgrade is not very obedient, if you do not respond as we would like you to, and we did not want to negotiate this with anyone, then we will again prevent any trade’ – and are we supposed to cry with happiness and say that it is fantastic news.“
Vucic said he received calls from several European countries advising him to accept the Pristina decision in a “nice way and as a step forward.”
The Serbian leadership is not “the dumbest one on the planet” – he said in response to this advice.
He also analyzed the Kosovo-Albanian political scene. Speaking of the LDK, Vucic claimed that this party obeys everything the Americans say. On the other hand, according to the Serbian President, Hashim Thaci is the one who will always say that he supports what the US says, but he is the one who will tell Kadri Veseli to say that he is against the abolition of taxes. They are campaigning against Kurti, while powerful countries try to always have someone of their own and show their influence over Albin Kurti – he stressed.
„His wife is Norwegian, various attempts … I do not think it is of absolute importance, certainly not insignificant, but they have their own policies,“ he added.
US is always against SOC because of Russia
When asked about the situation in Montenegro, he said among other comments that the Americans would „always go against“ the Serbian Orthodox Church because they think the Russian Orthodox Church has an influence on the SOC.
„And they will always find enough reasons to support all those who are against the SOC, while Europeans will play dumb.“
The President revealed that he regularly watches regional news programs and that, after watching “10 or 15 of them”, he sees the „huge support for the ‘disenfranchised Montenegrin people in Serbia’, although there are 40% less of them than Serbs in Montenegro.“ On the other hand, he is proud that Montenegrins in Serbia enjoy all rights and feel that they are the citizens of this country as much as the Serbs.
He also spoke about weapons, claiming that the immediate environment of Serbia was also arming up, citing concrete examples.
More than a 50 day long campaign
Vucic will return from the US on the day he will call parliamentary elections – March 4th, followed by a long campaign, one that will officially last for more than 50 days.
„So that people have time to get ready, and when campaigns are too long, you don’t have to rush. You can’t reach the peak of your campaign unless you follow the best campaign. It’s impossible to hold it up for 50 days, but all people will have plenty of time to present their programs.“
Following his visit to the US, the president plans to meet with Angela Merkel and China officials, as well as the Russian President, Vladimir Putin.
In addition to Vucic, Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci has been visiting Washington since February 23rd. The US ambassador to Pristina, Philip Kosnett and the US ambassador to Belgrade, Anthony Godfrey, who said he was looking forward to Vucic’s arrival, are also staying in the US capital.
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