"Russia sanctions, Kosovo recognition would make us champs"

"Russia sanctions, Kosovo recognition would make us champs"

Vucic sees participation in the summit as an opportunity to meet with the French president who is at the moment one of the two most important political figures in Europe and is influential in the world.

In addition to supporting the European path and increasingly better economic relations, France could have an impact in preserving peace and stability in the region.

"Stability and peace would be much easier to preserve if we had the support of today's strong, reputable France which has a growing influence in Europe and the world. President Macron enjoys a huge personal reputation across all meridians, and therefore I expect that today - and it has been agreed that we have a short meeting - that we will create conditions for Macron, as he himself said in his letter, to visit Serbia," Vucic said.

The president also addressed the chapters opened yesterday in Brussels. "Two chapters - two chapters, that they wanted to open, I thank them for it and that's that," said Vucic.

He pointed out that he would "have to look at the part concerning national minorities - they should point out which model from the region and which EU members they want Serbia to look up to."

"And this thing about the judiciary, I repeat, they are quite right, I have no illusions and there we will have to work a lot to completely change what we have inherited, the political impact on the judiciary, the ineffective judiciary," the president said.

He pointed out, however, that if tomorrow Serbia were to introduce sanctions against Russia and recognize Kosovo - it would become "a champion in defending the rights of national minorities the same day, and an efficient and independent judiciary would flourish."