The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, stated that he supports the decision of the President of Croatia, Zoran Milanovic, to cancel the Brdo-Brijuni gathering in May because, as he pointed out, he does not belong there, and that it is much more important for him to go and lay a flower in Jasenovac.
“As far as my presence at Brijuni is concerned, I fully support Zoran Milanovic, he is absolutely right, I do not belong there. I have always wanted to go as the president of Serbia and lay a flower in Jasenovac and that was always incomparably more important to me, and as for going to Brijuni, I can go only as part of professional obligations to hear the other side and to talk because I have never run away from dialogue,” Vucic told Tanjug.
He thus responded to the request to comment on the messages from Zagreb, namely the statement by Milanovic that he would cancel the Brdo-Brijuni process gathering in May because he does not want Vucic’s participation in that gathering due to statements in the previous period.
Milanovic did not have to, Vucic says, cancel the entire gathering, but could have nicely invited his friends from Pristina, Tirana, and wherever else he wants, because he certainly would not spoil or disturb that idyllic atmosphere for them.
“As for the statements and what Zoran Milanovic is referring to, I am not his errand boy and I am not Plenkovic for him to think he can take it out on me like he takes it out on some of his own people or on some other representatives of countries, just as I am not an errand boy for Plenkovic or Grlic Radman who will determine what I will say; instead, I speak as a free and freedom-loving president of Serbia and I speak the truth,” Vucic said.
Vucic asked if what exactly bothered Milanovic was that he spoke about a military alliance between Pristina, Tirana, and Zagreb.
“And they don’t feel very comfortable because of that or because I said that there are more missing Serbs than there are missing Croats, although I would like the problem to be solved for both Croats and Serbs, or maybe because I said that it is not exactly a European practice to stop intellectuals and professors like Professor Kovic, with whom I have never shared key political views, and to present that as the highest European interests, while at the same time you whine when someone detains a pop artist at a border for 15 minutes. Only 15 minutes,” said Vucic.
He added that he understands all of that and fully supports the decision to cancel the Brdo-Brijuni gathering, and that he thinks it is an excellent idea.
“When they are ready to hear even the opinion they do not like, and not just listen to those who fawn before them in order to get hold of the Brussels doors, then that dialogue will be possible. And until then, we will endure their blows regarding the causing of a color revolution in Serbia, daily attacks and lies, and we will continue that. And as for Serbia, they do not have to worry. We will preserve the peace and Croatia should not feel any kind of danger from Serbia, but they will not shut our mouths and they will not determine what we will say,” Vucic pointed out.
He said that only the citizens of Serbia can do that, and he expresses regret to the Croats that those whom they so heartedly and so wholeheartedly helped in these local elections did not succeed in that job.
“As you saw today, Picula also spoke again about violence in Serbia during the elections, accusing us, even though it is clear to the whole world who carried out the violence, who pulled out guns, and who beat people. But, you can invent whatever you want, and then the one who points out the truth to you usually ends up being guilty. Therefore, an excellent idea by Zoran Milanovic, I would say, so that we don’t waste time for nothing, because I will not change my convictions under anyone’s pressure or according to anyone’s orders. And I especially will not present a lie as the truth and the truth as a lie,” Vucic emphasized.
Croatian President Zoran Milanovic canceled this year’s Brdo-Brijuni summit, which was supposed to be held in May in Croatia.
Milanovic canceled the gathering and, as reported, informed all the leaders who were supposed to participate in it, citing as the reason “that the arrival of the President (of Serbia) Aleksandar Vucic to Croatia is not possible.”
“The Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Slovenia, as members of the European Union, initiated the Brdo-Brijuni Process with the aim of improving mutual cooperation and accelerating the European integration process of the countries of Southeast Europe. The meeting of the heads of state of the Brdo-Brijuni Process was supposed to be held this year in May in Croatia,” Milanovic stated.
Milanovic considers that the political statements and actions of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, in recent days and weeks are, as he states, in “complete contradiction with the goal of the Brdo-Brijuni Process, they damage interstate relations and threaten peace and stability in the area of Southeast Europe.”
Milanovic, however, did not specify in what way Vucic threatened peace and stability.
The Croatian president also believes that in such circumstances, as he says, “the conditions do not exist and the arrival of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, to the Republic of Croatia is not possible.”
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Source: B92; Photo: ATA Images