Serbian President: EU threatening to withdraw investments from Serbia

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
14 Sep 2022 08:00

The Serbian President says he would never recognize Kosovo and "will fight for respect for international law."

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (Getty Images)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told Tuesday the parliament that the European Union is threatening to withdraw investments from Serbia unless Belgrade continues its commitment to the bloc.

Vucic's remarks came during a debate about Kosovo since the EU has made its recognition a precondition for eventual membership.

"There is nothing good associated with any visit of mine to Brussels," the Serbian President said, responding to an opposition MP who described Serbia’s EU aspirations as "a fairy tale."

"I don’t believe in fairy tales. I believe in a realistic and rational approach. How can we say we don’t want the EU? Who will protect us? Do you know how many people work for German, French, Czech and Polish companies in our country? Do you think we haven’t heard threats about them withdrawing investments if we don’t recognize Kosovo’s independence? Do we have to sacrifice all that so we could tell someone they’re a ‘fairy tale’? We can’t be driven by emotions," Vucic considered.

It is noteworthy that last week, special envoys from the EU, France, and Germany visited Serbia following up on an August visit by the US envoy, which urged Belgrade to recognize Pristina as independent, although five EU member states haven’t yet done so.

Vucic pointed out Saturday in a televised address that the West is leaning on Belgrade due to the war in Ukraine, with Serbia again being "collateral damage in the conflicts of great powers."

The Serbian President stressed that he would never recognize Kosovo and "will fight for respect for international law."

With Western support, Kosovo declared its independence in 2008, but Serbia, Russia, China, and about half the UN members have not recognized it.

On Saturday, Vucic expressed his concerns over the flow of weapons, technology, and equipment supplied by the United States to Kosovo and other Balkan countries.

"The US will send a new tranche of military aid ... to the countries in the region — Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, North Macedonia — and, as they call it, Kosovo. I wonder what they will tell us after that and what they will demand of us?" Both Americans and all others from the region. Because, as you can see, there's only one country missing from that list, Serbia," Vucic said during a meeting gathering the National Security Council with government members and heads of law enforcement agencies.

According to the Serbian President, the US says it will send new military assistance to the countries in the region to support them in "defending themselves against Russia."

Vucic's voiced concerns came after the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell announced that Serbia and Kosovo reached an agreement on "freedom of movement" following weeks of tensions.

The Serbian President described the negotiations with "Albanians from Kosovo" as "very unsuccessful, terribly difficult," adding that "in the end we came to the point that we do not agree on anything."

Tension between #Kosovo and #Serbia after the former's new law. pic.twitter.com/2JYvWaoXMN
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) August 1, 2022

In a statement following a meeting between Vucic and Kosovo's prime minister Albin Kurti in Brussels and "intense follow-up efforts in Pristina and Belgrade," Borrell revealed that Serbia and Kosovo both agreed to forgo the introduction of entrance and exit documents for holders of Kosovo IDs.