Serbian President rejects US deal
President Aleksandar Vucic does not believe that Serbia should stop the international campaign to revoke recognition of Kosovo captured by Albanian separatists in response to the lifting of the official Pristina economic blockade of Serbian enclaves (100% tax on imported goods from Serbia, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina).
This is how the Serbian head of state commented on the proposal of the US Presidential Representative for negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina, Richard Grennel, who recently visited Belgrade.
“We have a national position regarding the independence of Kosovo, which is different from the position of the United States and Pristina. They want to get as much recognition as possible, but we don’t want it, and our job is to work on it,” Vucic said.
At the same time, the President of Serbia came up with a compromise proposal.
“It would be fair to pause - Pristina should suspend taxes, and we will suspend the campaign for the abolition of independence. I told him that if it would reduce tensions in the region, we could talk about it. But we will not agree to this if later in Pristina they declare their intention to join international organizations,” Vucic said.
At a press conference in Belgrade, Grenell said he was convincing Kosovo's leaders and business community of the need to eliminate the 100% tariff on Serbian goods. According to him, businessmen in Pristina agreed with his arguments.
“I'm making the same request here, only in your case we're talking about a derecognition campaign that needs to stop,” Grenell said.
He stressed that “Serbia must move towards the economy”, creating jobs, which means abolishing taxes.
“However, there are no easy discussions in the relations between Belgrade and Pristina, and whatever topic you raise, you always come to politics,” Vucic noted.
Let us recall that a few months after the October elections, the new “government” of unrecognized Kosovo still not formed because of the bidding conducted by the parties that received the majority of votes.
It was previously assumed that the new executive authorities of Kosovo could cancel duties on Serbian goods.
The independence of the Serbian region seized by Albanian separatists is not recognized by 95 countries of the world, 5 countries are in the status of abstaining, therefore the so-called Kosovo does not have a majority in the UN General Assembly.
Recently, Serbia has achieved the withdrawal of 13 recognitions and continues the campaign. This does not allow Kosovo to become a member of the UN and other international organizations.
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