PM discusses Kosovo, ties with Russia, EU bid

PM discusses Kosovo, ties with Russia, EU bid

"We have taken on commitments regarding Priština that we have honored," Vučić said in an interview for the German daily Die Welt, adding that the pledges from Brussels had not been easy to communicate politically to the Serbian people.

The prime minister said that on the day of the signing of the Brussels agreement on normalizing relations with Priština, he faced "anger of Serbs in Kosovo."

"I let them insult me for the concessions made by the Serbian government," he said.

"Of course, there are problems and delays in implementing the agreement, but we stand behind our words, and nobody can say those were empty promises," said Vučić.

The implementation of such an agreement needs time, especially as is taking place in a politically explosive environment, he said.

Vučić added that the implementation of the Brussels agreement is carried out in a step-by-step fashion, adding that there had been no violence in Kosovo recently and that the political rhetoric on both sides was obviously less aggressive than a few months before, which must be seen as successes not to be belittled.

When it comes to relations with Moscow, Vučić said that Serbia respected the territorial integrity of Ukraine but did not support the sanctions against Russia.

He said that Serbia fostered "traditionally close relations with Moscow," and was "one hundred percent dependent on Russian energy" - which, he said, "would not prevent him from speaking a clear language in Moscow."

"And I will say there just like in Brussels - that Serbia is interested in good relations with Russia, but that our future is in Europe," said the prime minister.

"Main goal"

Accession to the European Union (EU) is the main goal and the only possible path for Serbia, but it is not a bar to having the best possible relations with Russia, Aleksandar Vučić has said in another interview for the western press.

"We only have one foreign policy and it is transparent. Serbia’s main goal is to become a member of the EU. EU accession is the only possible path for our country – this is what I said to President Vladimir Putin and what I have said in Brussels, Belgrade, Paris, everywhere," Vučić told the French daily Le Figaro.

The prime minister added that EU accession was "not an obstacle to Serbia’s having the best possible relations with Russia."

"It is what we would like, but the main goal remains to be our main goal," Vučić stressed.

Asked to comment on the Ukraine crisis and a parallel that the Kremlin has drawn between Crimea and Kosovo, stating that if Kosovo could conduct a referendum on self-determination, so could Crimea, Vučić explained that no referendum on independence had taken place in the southern Serbian province of Kosovo.

"We were bombed. But there was no referendum," said the Serbian prime minister, in reference to the 1999 NATO attacks, adding that Serbia "found it very difficult to talk about the topic as it had suffered much.”

"We defend the principle of territorial integrity and inviolability of borders recognized by the international community. We have defended it in the past and we are defending it today when it comes to Ukraine," Vučić said.

Asked "if Serbia could join NATO" - he said that Serbia "cooperated with NATO through the Partnership for Peace, but was not willing to become a member of the alliance."

"You should know our history, and the question is not raised anymore. We have a partnership and programs with the Atlantic alliance. We are strengthening the level of cooperation. However, we are not ready to join NATO. Perhaps someone else will adopt a position different from mine in the future," Vučić said.

Asked about the construction of South Stream, the prime minister said that Serbia would benefit from the pipeline if it got built.

"Russia needs to invest USD 2.1 billion in this project, and we need to provide 16 million. These are good investments," Vučić said, adding that "Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Austrians thought the same" - but that a final decision did not depend on Serbia, but rather on Russia "and the Europeans."