PM voices readiness for talks with Albanian officials

PM voices readiness for talks with Albanian officials

Vučić said that he has not heard that any Albanian official actually condemned the incident that led to the Serbia-Albania match being abandoned because a drone carrying a map and other symbols of so-called Greater Albania appeared above the pitch.

"We take pride in the fact that we arrested the attackers and hooligans, and they take pride in their ghost flags as they are now calling them in the interviews in connection with the incident. They are telling us that this is the map of a Greater Albania, but that this has never been their national project. Then they are saying that they would like to join the EU united," Vučić said.

When the daily's journalist's remark edthat Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said his policy was not the policy of a Greater Albania, Vučić said that he would like to believe in that.

As I would like to have seen the condemnation of such a serious provocation as the appearance of the drone with a Greater Albania map certainly is. And I have not heard that from any Albanian official. As you know, no Serbian official has approved of the pitch incursion by our fans, and all those who threw stones at ethnic Albanian shops have been arrested, the prime minister said.

When the journalist pointed to the fact that the stands reverberated with anti-Albanian chants, Vučić said that the shouts of hatred could be heard in matches between domestic clubs too, and asked : “Why didn't you take note that everyone was chanting against me at that stadium …It is not the first time.”

He, however, said that “this is not nice”.

“The incident was directly caused by the drone and Albanian players who jumped on Serbian ones. Are we to blame for the pitch incursion and everything that happened after that? Yes, we are, and we will bear the consequences,” the prime minister said.

Speaking about the investigation into the incident, Vučić said that he would neither confirm nor deny that the brother of the Albanian prime minister was involved in it, but rather wait for the outcome of the investigation which “is being carried out very diligently”.

Asked about the smear attacks against Albanians in certain domestic media after the incident, Vučić said he himself demonstrated no hatred in any of his statements.

"I certainly do not hate Albanians and am ready to talk with them any time. A part of them are citizens of our state and I will always have an honest dialogue with them. I am afraid that sometimes there is room for concern that not only our media, but our behavior in general, are plagued by hatred," he noted.

Vučić said that he asked for the Albanian prime minister's visit to be postponed to November 10, from October 22 as was initially planned, “so as to create a possibility for rational talks”.

“I did not want to let someone trample on Serbia's pride the day after the incident. So, you cannot possibly try to cause instability in the state, and then say tomorrow, 'hahaha just a joke',” the prime minister said.

When the journalist indicated that there is no proof that the Albanian state leadership caused the incident, Vučić noted that he did not hear that Albanian officials condemned the incident.

“Someone did organize that. Let's wait and see the results of the investigation, have a little patience. Even if no one from the state was involved in that, it was no coincidence that I was informed in advance that something bad was in the works, about which I informed the European Commission, three hours before the match took place,” the prime minister said.