PM says "everyone in region wants to flex their muscles"

PM says "everyone in region wants to flex their muscles"

Responding to reporters' questions about Pristina's attempt to join UNESCO during a news conference at the government HQ in Belgrade, Vucic said that "even after UN's refusal to forward this request a difficult political battle with uncertain outcome will follow."

According to him, "Serbia will do its best to prevent what it considers would be a disgrace."

Vucic also mentioned as "disturbing" the threats coming from the Self-Determination Movement in Kosovo related to the forming of a community of Serb municipalities (ZSO) - something envisaged in the Brussels agreement - saying the party was "threatening with something that is almost war, and that was signed in Brussels."

"To us, six out of the 15 articles are the ZSO... 40 percent of the text of the Brussels agreement... concerns the ZSO - is it possible those people only read it yesterday?," asked the prime minister, and then remarked that the agreement was signed "two years ago."

Nevertheless, Vucic said he "hopes that reason will prevail in that process," and added, "one can only imagine what would happen if such statements came from the Serb society."

He reiterated "the position of Serbia, which considers it very important to reach an agreement on the formation of the ZSO," and stressed this was "the key thing in the Brussels agreement."

"But what can you do, it is obvious that something strange is happening in our region, it's as if everyone wants to once again flex their muscles and demonstrate their strength - we Serbs won't," said the prime minister, and added:

"We want to compare ourselves to others, to measure our work, knowledge, various visions of the future, but the size of muscles and the number of bullets that can be fired, we Serbs don't want that anymore. And such a policy we don't accept."

During the news conference - held after his meeting with the president of the Serb National Council in Croatia, Milorad Pupovac - Vucic also announced he will neither "give up on the initiative for regional reconciliation" nor on insisting on a joint remembrance day.

Speaking about the planned sale of the state-owned telecommunications company Telekom Srbija, Vucic said there were "several companies from the U.S." among the eight that have expressed their intention to take part in the privatization.

He added "that was all" he could say about the companies in question, and noted these were "merely the unbinding offers" for the moment.

"We will try to get the best possible price and the future for our company, or we won't sell," said Vucic.