Serbia ready to compromise on Kosovo

REUTERS/Axel Schmidt

A compromise over Kosovo would bring a much brighter future for everyone, Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic said in Berlin on Friday.

 “A compromise means that both sides would be slightly dissatisfied or slightly satisfied but it means a much brighter future for us all,” he told reporters in Berlin after a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“We are ready to compromise on Kosovo but a compromise always requires two sides and along with an agreement between Serbs and Albanians we need the approval of the European Union, the Americans, Turkey and Russia, and China has to be informed. That is why it is so difficult,” Vucic said. Prior to the meeting, Vucic said Serbia is committed to peace and stability.

“We believe that any conflict in the Balkans will take all our countries back 100 years and we will do our best to avoid tension, conflicts or a destabilization of the region at any cost,” he told reporters.

The Serbian President said he is satisfied with the support he got from Merkel who told him she was absolutely in favor of peace and stability in the Balkans. “We agreed on the need to continue seeking a solution since that is better than any conflict even if it were frozen,” Vucic said.

The president said Serbia would have a presence at the European Union – Western Balkans summit in Sofia, adding that he hopes Belgrade will have a top level delegation there. “I told her [Merkel] that the summit without Serbia would bring huge problems and inflict damage on Serbia. Imagine if all the EU countries are there along with representatives of Pristina and the entire Western Balkans and we didn’t arrive,” he said.

“Germany will support Serbia on its European path but it’s important for us to try to solve problems,” the Serbian President said. “Germany certainly does not want another country bringing territorial or other problems into Europe,” Vucic said.