University of Belgrade Rector's Collegium declines Vucic's invitation to dialogue

BELGRADE - The Rector's Collegium of the University of Belgrade said on Tuesday it had assessed Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's invitation to dialogue of February 3 and that it had decided not to accept it under the current circumstances.

"A series of inconsistencies in public appearances by representatives of state authorities inspires no confidence that dialogue leading to the students' demands being met is possible, or effective if organised between two sides that have no mandate to debate the demands and that the demands have not even been directed at," the Rector's Collegium said in a statement.

Reiterating that the University of Belgrade insisted on the demands being met by the relevant authorities, the Collegium added that "dialogue must be conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect among all relevant actors, with trust in institutions and within the framework of individual competences."