Vuciq expects new pressure for dialogue with Kosovo, warns elections in Serbia

Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, said he expects “a new pressure from the West to his state regarding talks with Kosovo.

“They essentially agreed with everything [Kosovo prime minister] is doing. Albin Kurti and the issue of the Association of Serb majority municipalities is something they must do because the agreement on it was signed ten and a half years ago and because we insist”, Vuciq told Pink television.

After the September 14th meeting, between Vuciqi and Kurti, under the dialogue for normalisation of the reports, the European Union said it would consult member states and the United States for further steps due to unsuccessful talks.

The EU said Kosovo had rejected a European bloc proposal for implementation of the agreement towards normalisation of reports, which Pristina and Belgrade arrived earlier this year. Kurti said this proposal was “due”.

Vuciq warns elections in March

Vuciq announced the possibility that elections in Serbia that are part of opposition demands could be held on March 4th, 2024, or a week earlier. These elections were previously scheduled for December 31st.

“I'm willing to hold elections in March, in line with what they wrote”, Vuciq told Pink television.

On 11 September, opposition representatives in Serbia, who have organised protests “Serbia against violence”, handed in a request asking Vuciki to announce extraordinary parliamentary elections and elections in Belgrade by the end of 2023.

The demand for extraordinary elections has been submitted by the Democratic Party, the Ecological Superignment, the Green Front and parliamentary groups the People's Movement of Serbia and the Europe Direction.

On September 5th, opposition deputies announced in Parliament that they would block Serbia's “legislature until their election-holding requirement is met, after holding protests for four months, due to the two mass killings that occurred in Serbia.

Vuciq denies he will remove Voul from BIA leadership

Vuciq also said that “may have planned” to replace the Agency for Security and Information Director (BIA), Aleksandar Vulin, but added that “cannot do this now”.

Commenting on speculation by some media that the seal will soon be replaced, Vuciq told Pink that such claims “extended his mandate”.

I may have planned to replace it, but now I can't”, Vuciq said.

He denied that the Seal will be replaced by BIA leadership by Marko Djuric, Serbia's current ambassador to the United States.

On July 11th, the US placed Volin on the list of sanctions, on charges of involvement in drug trafficking, but also on ties with Russia.

After that, Vuciq declared that sanctions against Voulin were his responsibility, because, “I have not imposed sanctions on Russia”.

US Ambassador to Belgrade Christopher Hill said on August 22nd that the US does not agree with authorities in Serbia regarding sanctions against Volin, adding that Washington has problems with its pro-rus orientation. However, he added, the US and Serbia have good reports.