All for Europe, only Vucic travels to Beijing to meet with Xi and Putin

For the first time, the Berlin Process Summit was held in Tirana, bringing together the leaders of the six countries of the Western Balkans and bringing the European ones to the region. This summit was boycotted by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, who decided to travel to China instead of a European summit. He attended the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said the visit to China was very important “in difficult times.” He announced important meetings and signing of important agreements with China, as well as bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Wang Huning, the “Chinese Kissinger.”

“We will sign documents on general cooperation and free trade, which are of particular importance to our country. These are fundamental agreements, and there will be important agreements on transport and infrastructure,” he said.

In addition to China’s president, Vucic is also expected to meet with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, who will also attend the forum.

When asked if he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Vucic dodged questions and said that no bilateral talks were planned, but that he would “of course” meet him like many other leaders at the Belt and Road meeting.

“As far as I have heard, 24 heads of state and government from all over the world are coming to this meeting. Putin is one of them. I don’t have a bilateral plan with him. The last time we met was on November 25, 2021, when I said there would be war in Ukraine,” he said. “It will be worse in the world and that is why it is important for us to keep the peace,” Vucic said.

China and Russia declared a “borderless” partnership in February 2022, when Putin visited Beijing just days before sending tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine, triggering Europe’s deadliest ground fighting since World War II.

Vucic did not travel to China alone. He also took a large Serbian delegation with him to China.

Many members of the Serbian Cabinet accompanied him – Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, Defense Minister Milos Vucevic, Interior Minister Bratislav Gasic, Finance Minister Sinisa Mali, Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Goran Vesic, Trade Minister Tomislav Momirovic, Culture Minister Maja Gojkovic , Agriculture Minister Jelena Tanaskovic, Information Minister Mihailo Jovanovic and Director of Telekom Srbija Vladimir Lucic. They are to participate in the third forum of international cooperation “Belt and Road”.

Vucic told Serbian media that the agreement, to be signed on October 17 in the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, would include 10,412 products from the Serbian side and 8,930 from the Chinese side.

Serbia, along with Belarus, is the only European country that has not imposed sanctions on Russia and maintains a brotherly relationship with Russia, despite being an EU candidate.

Meanwhile, in Tirana, European leaders condemned the attack on Kosovo police by the Serbian-backed terrorist group, according to evidence presented by Kosovo institutions. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke about possible sanctions against Serbia.

“There should be a full investigation so that we can then take a position. We are waiting for the data of the investigation and will decide later,” she said.

Meanwhile, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said during the summit in Tirana that Western Balkan countries should not live with the “fear of conflict tomorrow,” adding that Serbia “continues to threaten Kosovo with invasion.”

“Even 25 years after the genocidal campaign and after so many rounds of dialogue, Kosovo is still threatened with invasion by Serbia. This moment demands that we reflect and not continue with business as usual. “Such an act should not go unpunished,” Kurti said, referring to the Sept. 24 attack and the subsequent massing of Serbian troops near the border with Kosovo./The Geopost/