Vucic Condemns EU For Pristina's Impunity, Refuses To Participate In Summit In Albania

BELGRADE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd December, 2022) Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday condemned the European Union for leaving Pristina unpunished and refused to participate in the EU-Western Balkans summit, which is scheduled for December 6 in Albania's capital Tirana.

On Wednesday, Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti once again refused to form a Community of Serb Municipalities in the region. On Thursday, he appointed other local politicians to replace representatives of the Serbian List party, namely Nenad Rasic as community affairs minister and Rada Trajkovic as his adviser.

"The choice of Rasic, a man who received less than 1% in the elections, as well as Rada Trajkovic, who was on his party list, shows that they (the Kosovo-Albanian authorities) seek the expulsion and disappearance of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. I will say a few things now, before the official address and meeting with (EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver) Varhelyi, if it comes to that at all," Vucic was quoted as saying by Serbian Vecernje Novosti newspaper.

The meeting between Vucic and Varhelyi was initially scheduled for Friday at 11:00 (10:00 GMT) in Belgrade.

According to Vucic, Kurti should have received "deserved condemnation" from the EU long ago. He added that the authorities in Pristina "constantly violated the provisions of the Brussels Agreement, international law and all democratic norms."

Vucic also said he would not participate in the summit in the Albanian capital Tirana, scheduled for December 6.

"No one from Serbia will be in Tirana," he said.

The president noted that he would address citizens on energy issues on Saturday and warned Kurti that Pristina must not harm Kosovo Serbs.

On Wednesday, Kurti thanked the EU Permanent Representatives Committee (COREPER), which approved the mandate of the EU Council for negotiations on the introduction of a visa-free regime for holders of Kosovo passports.

In late November, Kurti accused EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell of rejecting the deadline set by the EU until March 2023 under the agreement on the full normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

On November 23, Borrell announced that Serbia and Kosovo, which declared itself independent from Belgrade in 2008, had reached an agreement on the issue of license plates. Serbia agreed to stop issuing license plates with markings indicating Kosovo cities, while the Kosovo-Albanian authorities promised to cease further actions related to the re-registration of vehicles. The head of the permanent EU delegation to Serbia, Emmanuel Jofre, welcomed the agreements and noted that from now on the dialogue would focus on the normalization of ties.

The head of the committee on Kosovo and Metohija in the Serbian parliament, Milovan Drecun, then told Sputnik that the Kosovar authorities with the support of the EU and the United States are putting forward an unacceptable proposal for de facto recognition of independence and admission of Pristina to the United Nations on the agenda of negotiations with Belgrade.