Vučić: "I asked Dodik to give up the army"

Vučić: "I asked Dodik to give up the army"

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says Serbia must resolve the Kosovo issue, where tensions have risen over the past year over registration plates.

He said that in an interview for the Financial Times in London.

The FT reminds that Kosovo declared independence in 2008, which, in addition to Belgrade, is not recognized by China and Russia.

Serbia must also control tensions in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which is fueled by BiH presidency member Milorad Dodik, whom Vucic supports, it added.

Vučić said that he called on Dodik not to form an army and to calm down secessionist plans, which, according to Vučić, he accepted.

Vucic told the Financial Times that Serbia will not jeopardize its national interest by imposing sanctions on Russia. According to him, Belgrade won’t choose sides.

“There's a talk of choosing sides. No, we have our own interests, Serbia’s interests. We were bombed by 19 NATO countries (in 1999) and sanctions were imposed on us,” he said and added that Serbia enjoys some kind of protection from Russia.

“A free man and free country does not take decisions based on ultimatums and force, but on the basis of what they are protecting and we are protecting our country and our citizens,” he said.

President of Serbia pointed out that "many players" have an interest in destabilizing the Western Balkans, but that he told EU leaders that Serbia would try to maintain peace in the region.