Vucic: Individual who was to damage gas pipeline had rank in their country's army

BELGRADE - Serbian authorities have information that the individual who was to damage the Turkish Stream international gas pipeline near Kanjiza, northern Serbia, had a military rank in their country's army, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday.

Two large packages of explosives with detonation cords were found near the pipeline on Sunday.

"We know that the person who was to carry that out eventually had a military rank in the army of their country, from which they have escaped to the territory of the Republic of Serbia, among other countries," Vucic told reporters at a press conference in Belgrade.

"We have certain clues but we are not talking about that because those clues can lead you to the wrong place," he added.

"Some embassies in Serbia have received calls from certain regional phone numbers. If we were to tell you which they are, you would draw various conspiracy theories. No - we are examining that, the relevant state authorities are dealing with that, and we will not release any conclusions until we are fully certain who is behind this," Vucic noted.

He said that, had the pipeline been damaged, Serbia would have been unable to supply gas to neighbouring Hungary for at least a month.

"I am proud of the professionalism, sense of responsibility, seriousness and commitment of our people. You know, in our country and in other countries as well, there are people who live off lies and their political agendas. They can keep believing in their own lies," Vucic said.

He noted that Serbia's military counter-intelligence agency had done its job in a professional, responsible and serious manner.

Vucic added that the Serbian Armed Forces had never interfered in Serbian elections, let alone in elections abroad. "Shame on those who say that the army or our authorities wanted to interfere in Hungarian elections," he said.

"Of course, the British media have been the worst - they lie the most," Vucic noted, adding that UK-based media outlets, including the Guardian, liked to "lie by default" as instruments of propaganda.

"They lie first and then assess the scale of their lies," he said.

Vucic: Global crisis to be discussed with gov't after Orthodox Easter

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced on Tuesday he would hold a meeting with the entire government and all agencies immediately after the Orthodox Easter holidays to discuss preparations for the toughest global crisis.

"In the coming days, I will schedule a meeting, immediately after Easter. I will invite the entire government and all services so that we can see how prepared we are for what is likely to be the toughest crisis that has hit this part of the world in decades, or is about to hit it," Vucic said.

Vucic added that inflation was at 2.8 pct, which he noted was good news.

Speaking about elections, he said all ODIHR recommendations would be adopted to restore trust in the electoral process.

Vucic: Elections in summer not ruled out

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday the possibility of holding early parliamentary elections this summer was not ruled out and that a decision on the matter would be based on the interests of the country and its citizens.

"If I see that a major crisis is coming, summer elections will definitely not happen, and I do not rule out the possibility of us going to elections in the summer if I see that peace is being agreed. To be quite precise, state interests - the interests of the state and the interest of the citizens are above all," Vucic told reporters when asked whether, after a year in office, the Serbian government was closer to a reshuffle or new elections.

He said he had held consultations with about half of the parties represented in the parliament and that a decision on whether, and when, elections would be held would not be made abruptly.

"I want to hear out everyone and hear everything first," Vucic said, adding that he expected discussions within the ruling Serbian Progressive Party - the largest political party in the country - to be very difficult, delicate and lengthy.

He noted that, unlike one-hour formal meetings with the president of the Republic, those discussions would take days and even weeks