Vucic "backs Serbs in Kosovo cabinet; Haradinaj is criminal"

Vucic "backs Serbs in Kosovo cabinet; Haradinaj is criminal"

According to him - depending on its stance toward Kosovo, Serbia will have "a more, or a less safe not only the present, but also the future."

Vucic supported the Serb List joining the Kosovo government, led by Haradinaj, saying the election ticket had "three options" at its disposal after the June ballot:

"One - to support a new government of fresh forces (led by) Albin Kurti and the Self-Determination Movement, whose goal is to unite Kosovo and Albania into a Greater Albania. Second - for the Serb List to support nobody. My question is - what kind of a choice is that? No kind. Tomorrow (there could be) new elections - the Serb List could win less, and Kurti and Haradinaj more. Do you think that six to eight percent of the population - that's how many Serbs there are in Kosovo today - could have a majority? The third option was to support a Haradinaj government," Vucic said - and added that Haradinaj is a (war) criminal - and that "we think nothing good about him."

According to Vucic, he was addressing the nation on Tuesday night also in order to explain the decisions of the Serb List ticket - whose representatives have been exposed to "continuous attacks."

The president said that Serbia has so far, when it comes to the issue of Kosovo, "spoken only about what it doesn't want - such as (not) recognizing (its) independence - while it has had no policy."

"Starting in October, a new phase of (Belgrade-Pristina) dialogue is starting, it is necessary to institutionalize it and carry out very broad consultations. That dialogue should happen on several levels, through concentric circles, serious, responsible, (in order) for us to have clear goals, inclusive, and tolerant," said Vucic.

He stressed that a report on the Kosovo and Metohija negotiations would be published - that would "present the results from the past three years, as well as all the moves Serbia has made as a state since 1998, on the issue of Kosovo."

"Once you have gone through this you will see how complicated our modern history has been, how many failures there have been," said Vucic.

As he said, "the question of politics is neither the question of slander nor of insults." He added that he "showed up to show why he was happy and proud."

"We have had no (person) killed in ethnic conflicts. I have never humiliated Serbia, I secured that Serbs in KiM (Kosovo and Metohija) live somewhat more easily. And that in these four years we have had nobody killed in ethnic clashes," he said.

Vucic then said that "for the first time there has been no dramatic fall in the number of Serbs (living) in KiM - while there has been a list proving how much the number of ethnically motivated attacks had decreased since 2012."

"The attacks, the murders, all that happened before - but not now. I am proud of the policy that safeguards the citizens in KiM. Whether there will be attacks - there will be, but whether there will be fewer - yes. There will be fewer" - said Vucic.

"People in Serbia should know that," he continued - instead of "sitting in cafes in Belgrade or Novi Sad, smeared with their cappuccino and beer foam - and then lecturing somebody else bout the KiM. Today Serbia's voice is being heard once again," added he.

The Serbian president stated that "when the talks about Kosovo were relocated from the UN to the EU" - Serbia "had to start fighting all over again."

"We succeeded in difficult negotiations. Do any of you think it was ever nice for me to sit down with (Hashim) Thaci, (Federica) Mogherini, Catherine Ashton? I never recall any nice moments. Instead I have the Pavlov reflex - I feel nauseous when they invite (me) to Brussels, I know nothing nice will happen"- Vucic said.