Vucic: I’m Going to Munich, I’ll Meet With Grenell, Lavrov to Come to Belgrade

Richard Grenell with Aleksandar Vucic (Betaphoto/Milos Miskov)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Feb. 12 that he will attend the Security Conference to be held in Munich on Feb. 13 and 14, adding that his presence will be of great importance for Serbia “because we will be able to assess which steps the [Kosovo] government will take next, which steps will the Germans make, the Americans, and the rest of the international community.”

“I’m to meet first with [U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard] Grenell,” Vucic said in an interview with Sputnik, adding that the Munich schedule is rather tight, with many panels, bilateral talks, meetings with German MPs, U.S. senators and congressmen, as well as various prime ministers.

He also said he will be meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in March, adding that the date has been set but that he cannot yet reveal it.

“We’ll see what will happen; it’s likely that [Kosovo Prime Minister Albin] Kurti will attend the same panel as I will; so we’ll see what the atmosphere will be and what it will look like,” said the Serbian president.

After the Munich Conference, there is a plan to have a meeting in Belgrade “with all the Serbs from the region – from Montenegro, Republika Srpska and the rest, [as well as] Serbian NGOs from Montenegro,” added Vucic.

“Next come the decorations and awards on Statehood Day [Feb.15], and I’ll be going to Brussels [right after], because the very next day we have many meetings, including one with [President of the European Council] Charles Michel,” said Vucic, adding that he will be returning on Feb. 17 for the Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoygu's visit.

“I would like to stay for the donor dinner for Albania, but I can’t; [Serbian Prime Minister] Ana Brnabic will attend [instead], and I’m going back to welcome Shoygu [and have] lunch with him on the 17th… And next, we’re expecting Sergey Lavrov's visit in March,” said Vucic.