Vucic tells NATO that Serbia will remain military neutral territory
3 Min Read
Serbian President meets NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the two discuss issues of Russia, Kosovo, and NATO.
-
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic speaks during a media conference after a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022 (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)
Belgrade will remain neutral and does not require any foreign military bases on Serbian soil said the Serbian President Alexander Vucic.
After a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg the Serbian President said that "When it comes to our bilateral relations once again, I underlined to Secretary General Stoltenberg that Serbia is a military neutral country and that we will remain military neutral," adding that Serbia "does not need any foreign military bases."
Furthermore, Vucic said that conducting a military operation in Kosovo that would cross the administrative line had been ruled out by Serbia.
"For 180 days we have been listening about Serbia’s possibility and Serbia’s wishes it invade either some entities, either some countries in the region and that it was going to happen five months ago, four months ago, three months ago, two months, and it didn't happen so far."
Vucic also denied false news and insisted that this is all he can do adding that "It is easy to use the current political situation against Serbia, so I asked NATO to look carefully at the situation in Kosovo and say when and where Serbian forces crossed the administrative line or border, as they say. We need a rational approach, conversations, a compromise solution, and not someone's desire to find a solution in which someone could blackmail Serbia or order Serbia how to behave.”
See more: Explainer: The Kosovo-Serbia tension
Earlier on August 12, Vucic stated that Serbia cannot pledge to preserve the current stance on the subject of sanctions against Russia.
Before the parliamentary elections on April 3, several Serbian lawmakers opposed imposing sanctions on Russia, but they later changed their minds, according to Vucic.
"I do not promise anything, I only promise the people that we will protect our policy as much as we can. And this my ‘as much as we can’ is stronger than the oaths of everyone else in this country on the political stage, who swear on books, blood, and so on," Vucic told TV Prva when asked if Serbia is able to manage external pressure when it comes to Russia sanctions.
It is worth noting that Serbians in early March rallied in Belgrade in support of Russia and Serbia has recently vocalized its refusal to join NATO, citing the 1999 killing of Yugoslavian children.
Vucic, who has recently assumed office for the second term in April, also vowed to prosecute any volunteers participating in the war in Ukraine.
Read more: EU concerned about 'inflammatory rhetoric' of Serbia, Kosovo
KFOR Ready to Intervene if Stability Jeopardized at Kosovo-Serbia Border - Stoltenberg
According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) is prepared to act if the security of the Kosovo-Serbia border is threatened.
During a joint press conference with Serbian President Alexandar Vucic, Stoltenberg said: "NATO continues to monitor closely the situation on the ground," He added, "Our KFOR peacekeeping mission remains focused on its UN mandate, should stability be jeopardized, KFOR stands ready to intervene and will take any measures that are necessary to ensure a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all the people of Kosovo."
