Vucic: I Don't Accept Equals Sign Between Tariffs and Lobbying for Derecognition of Kosovo

Richard Grenell with Aleksandar Vucic (Betaphoto/Milos Miskov)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Jan. 24, after a meeting with the U.S. president's special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Richard Grenell, that he did not accept putting an equals sign between Pristina's decision to impose tariffs on goods from Serbia and Bosnia, and Belgrade's lobbying with certain countries to withdraw their recognition of Kosovo's independence.

"We have a different stance on the recognition of Kosovo than America and Pristina. They want that independence to be recognized, we do not. As for the tariffs, they were introduced without any reason. And it can't be 'something for nothing', it has to be something in exchange for something else," Vucic said at the Serbian Presidency. At the meeting, Grenell presented the view that Pristina needed to lift the tariffs, while Belgrade needed to stop lobbying for derecognition.

Vucic said that Belgrade was ready for a compromise solution, that he was always ready to help the Serbian people in Kosovo and that he wanted to talk about everything, but that Serbia was not responsible for the imposing of the tariffs and it could not take the blame.

"It is our job to stand up to that (to Pristina's efforts to join international organizations). But we are not to blame for the imposing of the tariffs. We did not impose any on Pristina when it declared independence in 2008," he said.

Vucic went on to say that he and Grenell had spoken openly about the numerous issues in the dialogue and that he had thanked him for the effort invested so far, with a hint that the talks would continue.

He also said improving the living standard of people in the Balkans and advancing economic and infrastructural links in the region had been among the discussion topics.