PM speaks about Pristina's UNESCO bid, migrant crisis

PM speaks about Pristina's UNESCO bid, migrant crisis

"To sit down all of us, to talk, listen to different opinions, to make the lowest common denominator and to go forward with that common united position," Vucic, who spoke to reporters in the town of Ljubovija, western Serbia, said.

According to the Beta agency, he added that "Serbia's room for maneuvering regarding Kosovo's admission to UNESCO has narrowed, but he hopes that Serbia will with its smart, thoughtful and responsible politics be able to preserve its interests."

"Our job is to be trying, and whether we will succeed in this we will see. I believe that the EU will want to hear us, but whether they will listen to us remains to be seen in the weeks ahead," he added.

Vucic said that Serbia was "making every possible effort to prevent the admission of Kosovo to UNESCO and announced that during the night he will discuss this topic with the prime minister of a country from whom he will seek support."

Vucic said this conversation will happen at 01:30 CET "because of the time difference, and added: "They recognized Kosovo, but now a new government is reviewing the decisions of the previous government and I hope that we can convince them."

Asked about his expectations ahead of tomorrow's vote on Pristina's request to be admitted to UNESCO, he said that "our chances are not great in the Executive Council, they are much greater at the General Conference."

He said it was "not the end of the world and that Serbia will continue its fight."

"It is more important what we say as Serbia, than what others say, we should hear them too, but we're the ones who ultimately make the decision on how we will act," Vucic said.

Vucic also commented on the allegations that Mayor of Belgrade Sinisa Mali bought 24 apartments in a Bulgarian resort to say they were "absurd and false. '

Vucic said that "those who have written about these apartments have not understod well what consultancy services are" - which is what Mali did before he became Vucic's adviser in 2012.

The KRIK website which deals with investigating crime and corruption yesterday published an article entitled "Sinisa Mali secretly bought 24 apartments on the Bulgarian coast." Mali denied this in a statement saying he bought one apartment in Bulgaria and reported it in a timely manner to the Anti-Corruption Agency, and that he until 2012 owned a private consultancy.

KRIK quickly reacted with another statement of their own claiming that the documents which are posted on their website refuted Mali's statement.

While in Ljubovija on Tuesday, Vucic also spoke about yesterday's attack of Croatian police on journalists in the Serbian territory to say he "hoped it was an isolated incident" and that Serbia "wants the best relations with Croatia and will behave accordingly."

Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic on Monday strongly condemned the entry of several Croatian police officers to the territory of Serbia at the border crossing Berkasovo, who on that occasion attacked the journalists covering the migrant crisis, and who "threatened the territorial sovereignty of Serbia."

Besides the condemnation of this incident, Stefanovic said he would seek an explanation from the Croatian side, adding that "if something similar happens again, Serbian police will have to respond."

Regarding the refugee crisis, Vucic said that "Serbia will in no situation raise walls, but will continue to build bridges and roads."

"Some have been saying they were against raising walls, and then when hard times came they will raise them after all," Vucic noticed. Otherwise, he said, based on a report he received this morning, there were 12,130 refugees in Serbia's territory.

Vucic said that Serbia saw "the biggest number of refugees" transit its territory "and yet no noise was made," and added: "Not a single tear gas (canister) was fired in our country, which shows our seriousness, humanity and tolerance, and solidarity."

Earlier in the day a Croatian newspaper said the Croatian government was ready to build a fence on the border with Serbia, something confirmed by the country's foreign minister, Vesna Pusic, who said Croatia "did not want this to happen, as it was no solution."