Vucic: Two issues are crucial for accession of Serbia to the EU

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said today that two issues are crucial for the accession of Serbia to the European Union - the stance towards the Russian Federation, and the question of Kosovo and Metohija.

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"Everything else is on the sideline, whether the (Serbian) laws are this way or that. Everything else the state of Serbia has the capacity to solve and it's not a problem," Vucic told TV Blic.

He added that he knows this full well because he knows all the European Union member-states' leaders, and has sat down and talked with each of them.

Vucic stressed that six countries oppose Serbia's membership in the EU and added that two stand out.

"I personally called president of one of the countries and the prime minister of another, before December. They advised me in Brussels, they said that the European Commission is going with the proposal to open Cluster 3 (in membership negotiations), but that we have a problem. The total problem is six countries - essentially, two - and I should call them," said Vucic.

According to him, the president of one of the countries asked him to shut down Russian media outlets available in Serbia.

"He said to me, 'shut down the Russian media in Serbia'. What are you talking about? What kind of Russian media? He says 'shut down Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik, I have reports that they are working in Serbia with your permission, shut them down and we will support the opening of Cluster 3'. I said, 'Aha, right, thanks very much, let's meet over basketball, watch some EuroLeague and so on, and wish all the best to each other, going forward'," recounted Vucic.

When asked by the host whether political pressure on Serbia would be reduced if peace were to be achieved in Ukraine, Vucic replied, "You wouldn't believe how much".

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)