Vucic on Washington meeting: It will be sleepless nights, but we know our task

Photo: Tanjug/Dragan Kujundzic

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says that preparations are underway for a meeting with the representatives of Pristina in Washington DC, and that it is not known what the agenda of the meeting will be. He says that Belgrade will be ready for all options and that decisions will be made in a wise way.

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Ahead of the meeting with the Pristina delegation in Washington, Aleksandar Vucic said that there are many people in Serbia who would easily solve problems and who would curse the president of the United States, but he added that he cannot do that because he would endanger Serbia's interests.

"Especially because this president is more in favor of Serbia than some other presidents (of the US)," Vucic said in an interview with RTS.

He stated that preparations for the meeting are underway and that he's not exaggerating when he says that Belgrade is ten times more ready than Pristina, and that this can be confirmed by international representatives.

"We work every day, we are preparing all day long," the president pointed out and added that it is not known what exactly the agenda will include, but that the discussion should be about the economy.

However, as he says, the possible presence of Donald Trump says that maybe some other ideas are possible.

"I can tell people in Serbia that I have no doubt that, for the delegation I head and for all of us it will be sleepless, not good nights, but to know our task and how big the holy place we are defending is," he pointed out and added that Serbia is the most important regardless of all challenges.

His message to people is not to worry and that he has experience, that he had met before with top world leaders.

"And that gives me the right to say that we will make decisions in a wise way," said Vucic, noting that nothing will be rejected just to be rejected, and that what is bad and defeating for the country will not be accepted.

"We are waiting to see what the proposals are"

Regarding the comparison with the agreement between Israel and the UAE, Vucic said that he could analyze how it had been achieved, and added that the Belgrade delegation would definitely meet with Kushner, O'Brien, Grenell and Pence.

However, he noted that nobody offered an exchange of territory, nor anything like that.

"I am waiting to see what their proposals are," said Vucic and repeated that there is no doubt that Trump is better for Serbia than some previous US presidents.

"Whatever anyone says and thinks, we will be ready for all options. We know every village and every agreement, unlike those who come without knowing which agreements they had signed. But I never underestimate them," said the president of Serbia.

He stressed that the public will be informed about everything that is happening and that nothing will be hidden.

"I believe that we will have the strength and wisdom to make the best decisions," Vucic pointed out, adding that in the end, the people of Serbia will decide on everything.

He added that he would not be guided by personal and political interests.

Goal - 100,000 workers in German companies

Yesterday,  the president had a video meeting with German Minister of Industry Economy and Energy Peter Altmeier. An administrative partnership agreement was signed during the meeting.

"This is probably the first agreement I signed in that way, about our administrative partnership. We will have a representative of the German government in charge of both investments and the so-called green agreement, here in the Presidency of Serbia," Vucic pointed out.

He added that in the meantime, many German investors came here and that German companies are everywhere in Serbia.

"They are the biggest investors and today they employ a little more than 63,000 people. Our goal, I told Peter Altmeier, is to have 100,000 people employed in German companies in the short term. That is why this partnership will additionally help us," said Vucic.

He pointed out that they also spoke about how to create a better business environment and make Serbia even more attractive.

"Because people need to know that now a part of the production from Asian countries (although Altmeier wants to keep China), that supply chain, will move to Europe, and there we want to impose ourselves as the first partner to the Germans, to move their best factories to the territory of Serbia," said the president.

It's important to maintain pace of development

He recalled that he pleaded with Altmeier in the past for some investments and that it is terribly important to keep and increase the pace of development of Serbia and the pace of cooperation with the Germans.

"Germany is our top foreign trade partner, but also the top partner in services, a trade partner of more than five billion. In the first six months, we had a drop of only 5.9 percent. Having in mind coronavirus and everything that happened, it is an absolutely minimal fall," he said.

"We expect dynamic growth in the coming period. I expect German companies that worked in Serbia to stay in Serbia, to continue investing in Serbia," Vucic added.

He stressed that he also wants new German investors so that as many people as possible can be employed in Serbia.

"I am proud of this cooperation, those are good, great results, we have a lot to do," he pointed out.

He added that there was talk of large coal reserves and how the Germans could help Serbia with green energy.

Vucic stressed that he thinks the conversation was very important for Serbia and a good signal in this part of the crisis due to Covid 19, when new growth rates are already being considered.

Vucic also said that he hoped that Serbia could avoid negative growth and that Altmeier was surprised and said that would be exceptional.

(Telegraf.rs)