Vucic: EU, U.S. Officials’ Only Goal Is for Serbia to Recognize Kosovo

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Oct. 22 after meeting with European and U.S. representatives in Belgrade that the conversations were "difficult" and that "the most powerful countries of the EU and U.S. recognized Kosovo's independence" and that "strategically their only goal is for Serbia to recognize Kosovo as independent."

"Whether the reason would be Banjska or something else, that can change in terms of tactics, but essentially the policy is always to treat Serbia so that Pristina has the upper hand, because 22 out of the EU's 27 members, the most powerful ones, have recognized the independence of Serbia, and the U.S. especially. It is clear how things stand," Vucic said in an appearance on Pink TV.

About the recent events in the village of Banjska in northern Kosovo, he said that the incident was "tactically horrible" for Serbia and "brought disastrous moments and weeks or months of fallout." "I believe we will manage to find a way out and that Serbia will continue to take the good path with big wins in the economy and building infrastructure, improving health care for citizens, while at the same time preserving the essence of national policy and national interests," Vucic said.

"To them (Western officials), Kosovo is an independent state... We have to understand that kind of reality," Vucic said, adding that the U.S. and Germany would not change their stances.