Vučić: "There is no declaration of occupation; We don't want war"; Serbia's anti-crisis measures

"Today, Serbia is in a difficult legal and political situation regarding Kosovo and Metohija. Our most painful and difficult point is Kosovo and Metohija," said President of Serbia.

"Kosovo is the most expensive word for every Serb and, at the same time, the easiest word to carry, and often with an unbearable lightness of responsibility, its use and abuse have led us to nonsense," said Vučić.

"No one will ever be satisfied. Whatever we proposed, everyone would be against it. Those who call for arms on the first day that we call them only to make the bed in the barracks, would say that it is difficult. Those who call for the independence of Kosovo, would say you are traitors to us. And you hear that everywhere," he said.

"I almost know all the Serbian households in Kosovo and Metohija, and I know all the problems. There is almost no good solution. The measures we have adopted are not easy, they require effort, work, encountering resistance," said President of Serbia.

Vučić stated that Kosovo has been losing its population since 1971.

"Albanians saw the light at the end of the tunnel when the strikes started. They were waiting for their moment, we didn't understand everything that was happening in the world and for that we paid a high price. We paid a tragic price".

President of Serbia also recalled the historical events since 1981, the NATO aggression, the March pogrom, the unilateral declaration of independence, the so-called Kosovo...

Vučić stated that 85 countries have recognized the independence of Kosovo, and that the story is over for them.

"Until 2013, we had a complete economic collapse, the dissolution of several countries we were in. This was followed with general indifference. We have 112 countries that recognize independence. Only the strongest and those that have a similar situation in their respective countries remain on our side, and then the talks and negotiations around the Brussels Agreement took place," he said.

President of Serbia pointed out that we have seen that the signatures on the Brussels Agreement are worthless.

"In the coming period, we can expect worse news because they have elections coming up. They are not interested in the fate of our children and lie when they say they are interested. They look at every measure we take from the perspective of an independent Kosovo. We have more courage, we expose that kind of hypocrisy, we support the people, with all their strength and all their knowledge, supporting dialogue, but seeking rights that must be achieved," said Vučić.

"Our move is divided into five areas, we want to return to everything that was achieved in the dialogue process," said the President of Serbia.

The first Serbian move is to return to the "Status quo ante".

"We see that all this does not make any sense. We believe that, for any serious progress in the dialogue, it is necessary to:

1. Call and hold free and democratic local elections in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, with the participation of the OSCE and EU Mission;

2. Implementation of Article 9 of the First Brussels Agreement through the collective return of Serbs to the Regional Directorate of KP North;

3. The return of Serbian judges and prosecutors to judicial functions;

4. Withdrawal of the so-called special forces of the Kosovo Police from illegally built bases and checkpoints in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, as well as their withdrawal from all institutions that provided vital public and administrative services to citizens from 1999 until their illegal closure in 2024;

5. Urgent and final formation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities, without further political trickeries and games, it is clear to us that for 12 years it was just a game used to buy time, with the aim that the CSM is never formed and that it abolished all rights of Serbs. This concretely means the adoption of the final draft of the CSM Statute in the manner provided by the Rules of Procedure of the Management Team, by the democratically elected representatives of the Serbian community in the North of Kosovo and Metohija;

6. The immediate implementation of the guarantees of the European Union and the USA from December 28, 2022 and the immediate release of all political prisoners who were arrested by the so-called Kosovo Police for their democratic, civic or political activism - and especially those arrested for participating in peaceful protests/barricades;

7. Immediate enabling of uninterrupted payment transactions and postal services.

These requests will be conveyed in upcoming international activities that will include talks and special events within the UN and OSCE systems, as well as raising awareness of the violation of human rights of Serbs within the UN Human Rights Committee.

Kosovo and Metohija as an area of ​​special social protection

"Under two, Serbia will declare Kosovo and Metohija an area of ​​special social protection.

It was agreed that the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia will adopt the Law within 45 days, which will declare the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija as an area of ​​special social protection, which will guarantee the right to financial support for the unemployed.

This law will specifically regulate and limit the sale of immovable property (restricting the sale of immovable property for individuals who are beneficiaries of the law's benefits).

The enjoyment of privileges will be limited only to those who actually live in the AP of Kosovo and Metohija," said President of Serbia.

The third move - the resilience of Serbian institutions in Kosovo and Metohija

"Serbian institutions and temporary authorities in Kosovo and Metohija will not be abolished or closed, which will prevent Albin Kurti from achieving his main political goal to evict and completely eliminate the institutions of Serbia and Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija.

In order to alleviate the unilateral and uncoordinated actions of Kurti's regime directed against Serbian institutions and temporary authorities, an office will be opened right next to the administrative line in the settlements of Rudnica and Ribarići, where Serbs from the north of Kosovo and Metohija will have access to exercise their rights in the domain of social protection and through which they will provide vital public and administrative services to citizens," said Vučić.

Establishment of a special Prosecutor's Office

"It was agreed that the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia will adopt within 45 days the Law on the Organization of Competencies of the Judicial Bodies of the Republic of Serbia for the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija, which will establish a special Prosecutor's Office for the prosecution of abuses and violations of basic human rights, usurpation of property, endangerment of physical integrity and dignity of the citizens of the Republic of Serbia in the area of ​​Kosovo and Metohija. The Prosecutor's Office will have a special task to investigate and prosecute the criminal and illegal acts of officials of temporary institutions in Pristina," said the President of Serbia.

Vučić stated that this will also include persons of Serbian nationality who, in the name and at the expense of the Albanian secret police, persecute the Serbian population in the worst possible way.

"The decision on the illegality of all bodies and institutions established on the territory of Kosovo and Metohija after the illegal unilateral declaration of independence, and the non-existence of all their acts that have been passed or will be passed," stated Vučić.

"It has been agreed that the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia will adopt a decision within 45 days stating the illegality of all bodies and institutions formed on the territory of Kosovo and Metohija after the illegal declaration of independence, as well as the non-existence of their acts. This will regulate that all activities, unilateral and uncoordinated acts of those bodies are legally non-existent and cannot produce legal consequences or legal effect".

Vučić pointed out that a similar procedure was undertaken after the end of World War II, when the law declared the invalidity of legal regulations passed before April 6, 1941, and during the enemy occupation.

"No Declaration of Occupation"

President of Serbia pointed out that our legal experts were against declaring the occupation of Kosovo and Metohija. 

"We did not declare an occupation. We must not give them the status of a legal armed force. We will not give them any legal legality and legitimacy because they do not have it," said Vučić. As he pointed out, just recognizing the occupation is a criminal act.

"We don't want to get rid of Kosovo, but to help our people and that's why we're doing all this. We don't want war, we want to realize our rights in peace," said Vučuć.

President of Serbia pointed out that it will not be easy.

"They will be even more aggressive. They will open the bridge over the Ibar, this is proof that they want conflicts and they will do it. They will attack schools and hospitals, they will attack everything. But we will find an answer, we will survive and the more they attack, the more we will we do for our people. And no one will be able to stop us, and they can dream about their independence. And they can dream for dozens of years. They never wanted to talk seriously, they just want to persecute Serbs," Vučić pointed out.

Answering a journalist's question, Vučić pointed out that our hands are "tied" because the Albanians have the support of the West.

Vučić announced that Serbia will again send a request for the return of up to 1,000 Serbian soldiers and policemen to Kosovo and Metohija.