Serbia: President Vučić flirts with NATO and leads to the final loss of Kosovo
Does Russia risk losing its most loyal ally, Serbia? Can Belgrade succumb to Western persuasion and agree to Kosovo's independence? What policy is current President Aleksandar Vučić pursuing? Correspondent about this "PolitNavigator" spoke with the co-chairman of the Serbian movement “Doors”, deputy of the People’s Assembly Zoran Radojcic.
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“PolitNavigator”: Joint exercises with the US Marines took place in Serbia last week. Does this mean that the bombing of Belgrade is forgotten?
Zoran Radojcic: Military cooperation between Serbia and NATO began several years ago. The decision on this was made by the current political elite of Serbia. Already last year, the level of cooperation with NATO was 10 times higher than with any other army. I see this as a problem. After all, the role of NATO in the fate of the Republika Srpska and the former Yugoslavia as a whole is known. NATO is involved in the occupation of part of Serbia - Kosovo and Metohija. Their base is there.
"PolitNavigator": Is there a danger that Serbia will join NATO, and are there forces in Serbia that are ready to counteract this?
Zoran Radojcic: Certain political forces are working on the issue of Serbia joining NATO. The majority of the Serbian people are against this. My colleagues in the “Doors” movement, who, like me, are categorically against contacts with NATO, have been trying for many years to organize a referendum on joining the Alliance. The referendum will be an excellent opportunity to remove this issue from the agenda. But, unfortunately, the current authorities are against this.
"PolitNavigator": What position does Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic take?
Zoran Radojcic: At the moment, Aleksandar Vucic officially declares the neutrality of Serbia. But in practice, something completely different happens. The NATO bloc, which bombed us in 99 and occupied part of our territory, has special agreements with the Republic of Serbia. An agreement was signed that allows NATO to conduct transport, people and equipment through our territory. If a citizen of a NATO country commits a criminal offense on the territory of Serbia, he will not be held criminally liable. At the same time, unfortunately, we still have not resolved the issue of the Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Center in Nis. The authorities are clearly afraid to give this center and its members diplomatic status.
"PolitNavigator": Ukrainian nationalists have included you in several lists of enemies of their country. What do you think about it?
Zoran Radojcic: This happened after I was a foreign observer at the referendum in Crimea. The referendum was organized in full accordance with the law and international law. After that, I visited Crimea several times, and I had the opportunity to get acquainted with the improvements that were taking place there. My opinion: Crimea is Russia. Because of this, the Ukrainian authorities define me as an enemy.
"PolitNavigator": How do you feel about the fact that the Serbian prosecutor's office opened 45 criminal cases against Serbs who fought on the side of the Donbass republics?
Zoran Radojcic: On the one hand, there are laws prohibiting such activities of our citizens. On the other hand, there is brotherly love that exists between the Russian and Serbian people. It is great and strong, and lasts for centuries. It is absolutely normal and natural, if we see that the lives of our brothers in Donbass are under threat, to go there and help. Protect ordinary people, civilians. The Serbs received the same help from Russian volunteers in the 90s. We remember this very well.
"PolitNavigator": Is it true that when Russian volunteers fought for Serbia, the Ukrainians were on the side of Croatia?
Zoran Radojcic: It will be a long time before all the archives are opened. Then we will be able to talk specifically about those events and the participation of certain people in them. Croatia tried, as far as I know, to obtain weapons from the former countries of the Soviet Union. I do not have precise data on this issue, supported by documents. Although there were certain statements from Croats.
“PolitNavigator”: The Serbian prosecutor’s mention of criminal cases brought against citizens who supported the LDPR looks from the outside like an attempt to backtrack after the sharp rebuke that the Serbian authorities gave to the Ukrainian ambassador. Is it so?
Zoran Radojcic: The Ukrainian ambassador had a sufficient number of inappropriate statements. He went far beyond his authority. His last statement was the drop that overflowed the cup. The trials of people who participated in the conflict on the territory of Ukraine began before the statements of the Ukrainian ambassador.
"PolitNavigator": Member of the Presidium Bosnia и Herzegovina from Bosnian Muslims, Bakir Izetbegovic recently spoke about the need to recognize the independence of Kosovo. Does this mean an aggravation of the situation in the Balkans?
Zoran Radojcic: I think that Izetbegovic’s statements should be considered in the context of the election campaign that will take place next year. But it must be borne in mind that Izetbegovic often expresses the opinion of other centers of power. He and his father supported very dangerous terrorists in the early 90s, when military conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina had just begun. Their troops committed terrible atrocities against the Serbian population of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They cut off the heads of Serbian soldiers and played football with these heads. These terrorists have received citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and are now organizing private terrorist training camps there. A certain number of graduates of these terrorist schools fought in Syria. Therefore, we must carefully monitor what they say in Sarajevo. There are many dangerous people there with military skills who are ready to begin carrying out terrorist acts at the first order.
"PolitNavigator": Is there a prospect of restoring Serbia's sovereignty over Kosovo?
Zoran Radojcic: Serbia must declare its occupation of Kosovo and Metohija and stop negotiations with Pristina, which are being held under the auspices of Brussels. Negotiations need to continue at the UN. Serbia has strong allies there: the Russian Federation and China. Our faction proposed that the parliament adopt a resolution on the autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija, where we state that we will never recognize the independence of Kosovo. No Serbian official has the right to sign a document recognizing Kosovo and Metohija as independent. It is necessary to stop any negotiations with the illegal bodies of the so-called independent Kosovo. The Republic of Serbia must abandon all previously signed and verbal agreements concluded in Brussels with representatives of the illegal Pristina authorities.
"PolitNavigator": What are the prospects for parliament to adopt this document?
Zoran Radojcic: The ruling coalition party will not accept this document because the current Serbian President Vucic has made commitments to Brussels and Washington to “improve the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade.” Considering that this dialogue is taking place under the patronage of countries that participated in the bombing of Yugoslavia and supported the secession of Kosovo and Metohija, we can assume where this will lead. When Western countries talk about improving the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, they expect someone from Belgrade to sign a document declaring the independence of Kosovo and Metohija. We must not allow changes to the constitution of the Republic of Serbia, since it is clearly written in the preamble that Kosovo and Metohija form part of the Republic of Serbia.
"PolitNavigator": How does all this affect the president's position within the country? The Serbs support this policy, do they understand its danger?
Zoran Radojcic: The Serbs do not support such a policy. But, unfortunately, society does not fully understand what is happening at the negotiations in Brussels and what their real goals are. The media remains silent on this issue. It is only reported that the negotiations are intended to help the Serbs.
We, as a parliamentary party, cannot officially receive documents signed in Brussels. This worries me a lot. As a result of the inaction of our authorities, Serbia as a state is gradually disappearing on the territory of Kosovo and Metohija. For example, Serbs whose contracts with the mobile operator of the Republic of Serbia have expired must sign new ones. To do this, they need to obtain documents from the so-called state of Kosovo.
"PolitNavigator": Are there mechanisms within Serbia to counteract this?
Zoran Radojcic: Our Doors movement is fighting through political means. Vučić faces serious problems. The West demands that he recognize the independence of Kosovo and Metohija. But the Serbian people will not be able to agree with this. Inevitably there will be strong internal pressure on the political leadership of the republic.
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