Serbian president: We need to reach compromise

Serbian president: We need to reach compromise

He is convinced that "those who do not understand that will lead Serbia into the greatest tragedy from which we will exit defeated, more defeatedg than ever."

"If people do not understand it, and I see that they don't, I also have no problem with that. But, to lead a policy in the future that will bring Serbia into the worst tragedies, I will not," Vucic said, and added:

"I will raise Serbia's national pride and national dignity, to get more than we had before."

"Much more than we had during the time of those who lost everything. To protect our people in Kosovo and Metohija, but also in all other places. For the Serbs to stand up and feel that they are on their own and have the protection of their Serbia. To lead Serbia into wars and conflicts that we cannot come out of as winners, I will not," said Vucic.

Asked if he could "more specifically explain the term 'delimitatio of Kosovo' - he replied that he "never said it in that way, but instead spoke about establishing a border between us and Albanians."

When the journalist remarked that if we establish a border, that means that we have "recognized them," the president said:

"Wait, wait, my question for you is: do you think we can do this for another hundred years? Do you want to solve the problem or not? You want to leave it to your and our children, do you want them to go to the trenches tomorrow? I would not like my child to go in the trenches. I want my child, one, and the other, and the third, to think about the future they will have, both the one who is of army age at 21, and the little one who's a year and a half."

"What is it that Serbia has in Kosovo," he asked, "considering that I heard stories that I am the worst and greatest traitor, and from the people during whose time (in power) Kosovo gained independence."

He recalled that Kosovo declared independence in 2008.

"What did it look like? One went to Romania, the other held a protest here, which ended with a general media agony around sneakers for Kosovo, to remind you. Wasn't it like that?," Vucic asked.

He continued to say that in 2009, "the Serbs were expelled from the UN and introduced into Europe and European negotiations, in 2010 the most catastrophic decision was made - to send a letter to the International Court of Justice and ask whether the declaration of Kosovo's independence was legal, and we received the answer that it was not illegal."

"If the Albanians were smart and stuck just to that at the Security Council, instead of to what I waited for them, and caught them, and beat them easily - the Ahtisaari plan and everything else - it would have been much more difficult for us," Vucic said.

"I still keep a fraction of the reply and I will not tell it to you now, so that I can tell it to the Albanians on the international scene when they bring it up next time, but our replies are the weakest there, thanks to the responsibility of those who now want to lecture somebody," he said.

According to Vucic, the strategic issue about Kosovo, "and that everyone agrees about it," is "to have peace, and there is no other solution than an agreement."

When asked what kind of agreement he had in mind, the president replied:

"Any kind of agreement that will be accepted by Serbs and Albanians, brings peace. There is no peace otherwise, understand that. Understand me, people, and everyone behave responsibly and realize that this is the only possible thing."

If you do not have an agreement, Albanians will get even more nervous, warned Vucic.

"They thought they finished it all in 2008. And then some Vucic miraculously managed to bring Serbia back into the game in 2013, and that's why they are nervous. That's why they want to finish it all now. I ask you, what will we do?," said Vucic.

He went on to say that he is "not afraid of the Albanian army, or anyone."

Asked whether it hurts him to say that he is being kept in power by the West until he signs the surrender of Kosovo, and will afterwards be discarded, the president replied:

"My West keeps me (in power)? I also heard that Russia hates me, so I met Putin more times than all the presidents and prime ministers of Serbia before me put together. Is that a fact or not?"

Asked what decision will be made in case the EU pressures us to distance ourselves from Russia, he said that we will not distance ourselves from Russia.

"Who knows how things are changing in the world, who knows what will happen by May or June next year, let alone in the next six or seven years. Serbia has good relations with Russia and will not be spoiling them. Serbia is on the European road and I don't hide it anywhere, including in Moscow. And you telling me - you ruin your relations with Russia? And why would we? You're building Nord (north) Stream, and we can't build South Stream? Why?," asked Vucic.

"It's because they are big and we are small," the Serbian president explained, adding that he "will not accept this type of argument":

"I can't be talked to like that, not in Brussels, not in Berlin, not anywhere else."