Vucic: Kurti attempting to destroy dialogue, expel Serbs

DAVOS - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday in Davos he had requested EU special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak to stop Pristina PM Albin Kurti's attempt to destroy dialogue by halting payments of salaries and pensions to Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija.

Speaking to reporters, Vucic said Pristina's announcement that it would stop payment transactions with central Serbia was an attempt to abolish the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and expel Serbs from Kosovo-Metohija, and added that he hoped the international community would not allow that to happen.

Asked whether his meetings with Lajcak and US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia James O'Brien had given him an impression they were aware of the danger that would result from Pristina's threat materialising, Vucic said it was not his job to speak on behalf of European or US officials.

"But I will speak with the Germans, the French and everyone else about this issue because I believe everyone must understand what this is about. This is about an attempt to abolish dialogue and expel Serbs from Kosovo-Metohija, and that is the essence of things. I think they are aware of the consequences and hopefully they will help to ensure such things do not happen," he said.