Vucic: Global situation complex, UN order exists on paper only

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Sunday three topics had been discussed at a National Security Council session earlier in the day and that certain conclusions had been adopted.

Speaking to reporters after the session, Vucic said the global situation was complex, that the UN order existed on paper only and that the law of the stronger was dominating.

He said the session had addressed regional military and political security, energy security and Serbia's security, as well as the US action in Venezuela.

"We are aware of the complexity of the position of our country in the region of southeastern Europe. I deliberately said something that is a slightly broader term than the Western Balkan region. And of course, the complicated and complex nature of our position will be increasingly prominent, especially in view of the fact that the old world order is collapsing and that there are no valid rules anymore," Vucic noted.

"It is now clear that international law does not exist and that the UN order exists on paper only," he added.

"We must admit to ourselves and understand well that, also after the Venezuela action, it is completely clear that the order of international public law and the UN Charter is not functioning at all," he said.

"The law of force, the law of the stronger dominates in the world," Vucic said.

"That is the only principle of contemporary politics that exists in the world today. There are no other principles. It was enough to take a look at how some representatives of European institutions and European countries are reacting to what happened in Venezuela. They have some petty interests of their own in (Venezuelan President Nicolas) Maduro's toppling, but they do not dare to say it all because they are afraid of what is next - Greenland or something else, where European unity will collapse again. And then you see exactly that there are no principles anywhere," Vucic said.

Vucic: Pristina's arms acquisitions especially concerning and contrary to UN Charter

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Sunday Serbia faced a complex situation in southeastern Europe and added that Pristina's continued arms acquisitions, which he noted were contrary to the UN Charter and UNSCR 1244, were especially concerning.

Speaking to reporters after a session of the National Security Council, which he chaired, Vucic said UNSCR 1244 had been de facto suspended by Western powers and Turkey.

"They are arming Pristina at an accelerated pace, and the newly-established alliance of Pristina, Tirana and Zagreb poses a special threat to the security, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia," Vucic said. He said Serbia was watching developments closely and preparing to defend itself from those who were openly threatening it.

"I believe that our strength will be a sufficient factor and that we will succeed in, and be capable of, achieving our top objective - preservation of peace and stability," he said. Vucic also said Serbia's military capabilities would be strengthened significantly and doubled over the next year and a half, while military personnel would be boosted by 30 pct.

"We will increase everything else by 100 pct," Vucic said. "That is the only secure form and way of protecting our country, and a deterrent," he said.

Vucic: I expect first quantities of crude to reach NIS refinery by January 15

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Sunday the first 85,000 t of crude oil was expected to reach the NIS oil refinery by January 15, while the refinery was expected to start operating on January 17 or 18 and begin producing oil derivatives from January 25 or 26.

The Serbian oil company NIS is under US sanctions due to its Russian majority ownership. Speaking to reporters after a National Security Council session, Vucic called on the Gazprom and NIS managements and the Hungarian side to complete a deal on a sale of the Russian stake in the company as soon as possible to enable Serbia to "exit the sanctions regime."

"For us, it is important to preserve peace, and we will succeed in that," he added. "In any case, we have the sanctions on NIS, which are still cast over the country, as well as sanctions on the Chinese company Linglong, which employs 1,300-1,400 people in our country," he said.

"We must deal with that, and we will, and I call on the people from the Gazprom and NIS managements, and on the Hungarians - since it is now clear that it is them that they are negotiating with - to finalise a contract on a sale as soon as possible so that we can exit the sanctions regime and that Serbia can continue to grow," Vucic noted.