Vucic: Decision Not to Impose Sanctions on Russia Stood Test of Time

Aleksandar Vucic (BETAPHOTO/Predsednistvo Srbije/Dimitrije Goll)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated on Nov. 6 that the conclusion of the Council on National Security, brought when the conflict in Ukraine broke out, for sanctions against Russia not to be introduced, had stood the test of four years of time.

“The government has the authority to amend the decision,” Vucic stated during the joint news conference with the ambassador of the European Union, Andreas von Beckerath, after the ambassador presented him the European Commission’s annual report on Serbia.

He also said that it was not true that this was “the worst report yet, as some say; I have seen at least three that were worse,” but that the authorities were treating in a responsible way. Commenting on the criticism of his language, he said that, from now on, he would only be saying that “flowers are blooming, so as not to harm Serbia’s interests.”

“I have made mistakes a thousand times because I am human. I never heard any of them (political opponents) say sorry. I apologize to everyone in Serbia for all my harsh words, but we were not doing the same things in the past 12 months,” Vucic said, adding that he had certainly made numerous mistakes, but that he would not “play dumb and not see want the others are doing.”