Vucic: I am not optimistic about opening Cluster 3

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday he was not optimistic about opening Cluster 3 in Serbia's EU accession talks by the end of the year.

"I am not optimistic for a million reasons, but it will be better if I do not say anything at all. We have been doing all we can, we have been trying and fighting. It will be good news, nice news if that happens. No one would be happier than me. And when the decision is made that it has not happened, then (Parliament Speaker) Ana Brnabic should be the one to tell you why it has not happened," Vucic told Pink TV.

Commenting on announcements from Croatia that Zagreb would do everything in its power to thwart the opening of Cluster 3, Vucic said Zagreb had pledged to "deal a powerful, tremendous blow to Serbia" and block its EU accession.

Asked why Croatia did not want to see Serbia in the EU, Vucic said the reason was simple - because Serbia was growing stronger.

"The moment they joined the EU and NATO - while, to put it mildly, those who were not governing their country frugally were in power in Serbia - they thought it was over and that they were becoming the dominant power from Triglav to Istanbul in various ways, and definitely all the way to Bulgaria and Greece. But since Serbia has literally risen from the ashes like a phoenix and become stronger, they want to inhibit Serbia's strength, there is not much philosophy in that," Vucic said.