Vuciq: West seeks recognition of Kosovo, sanctions against Russia

He made these comments at a press conference in Belgrade, just hours before his Serbian Progressive Party announced the decision on new elections in the Serbian capital, which has been conveyed with deep concerns about abuses. Serbian president called on his government to implement O report recommendations immediately SBE/ The ODIHR for the December 17th parliamentary and local elections in Serbia.

The report reportedly held elections under unfair conditions and were damaged by severe rhetoric, bias in the media, pressure on public sector employees and misuse of public resources”.

The opposition insists that victory in Belgrade was stolen and the entire election process was irregular.

The Serbian president said that under Western pressure for recognition of Kosovo, there is also the demand that Serbia give up support for Republika Srpska in Bosnia. He said developments in Ukraine are not flowing according to Western expectations, and Russia can use Kosovo as precedent, reports VOA.

“Since they know this in the West, it is important that this issue be covered and the pressure on Serbia will increase, but not also on (Kosovo Prime Minister Albin) Kurtin. The pressure will be put on him only to prevent a situation when Serbia needs to react, and that is not what we want even to do, said the Serbian president, stressing that in the coming days “we will be forced to make different decisions with which we will find alternative solutions to send the money, which are the retirement wage for our people in Kosovo”.

A Kosovo Central Bank regulation, under which the euro is the only currency that can be used for willing payments in Kosovo, prompted Belgrade's angry reaction, and Western diplomacy concerns about its impact on the lives of Kosovo Serbs who continue to be financially supported by Belgrade, but also for tensions between the sides.

The Serbian president said that pressure is always under way over his country to join Western sanctions against Russia due to its aggression in Ukraine, which Serbia has refused to do. Belgrade did not support the declaration of the 27 European Union member states regarding the death of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny. Through the February 16th statement, the EU blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the death of the Kremlin critic.

EU spokesman Eric Mamer said that harmonising foreign policy with that of the bloc is part of the membership process of those who aspire to European integrations.

“QE has consequences in the event of non-compation with EU positions, as it is the fundamental requirement a country should harmonise with these positions to become a member of the EU. And Serbia has indicated that EU membership is a strategic goal of”, he said.

Although formally aimed at European integrations, Serbia maintains close ties with Moscow, which supports Belgrade's claims on Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008 with Western support.