Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated that they will maintain stability in the region.
Vucic received German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius in the capital Belgrade.
Serbian leader Vucic and Pistorius made statements to the press after the closed-door meeting.
Vucic said the meeting with Pistorius was “open and honest” for both sides, adding, “Serbia will protect stability in the region.”
“We agree that stability and peace are of vital importance not only for the people of the Western Balkans, but also for the whole of Europe, and any tension and instability are not in anyone’s interest,” Vucic said, stressing that he promised to maintain stability.
Vucic said that “his promise means more than many signed agreements” and that Germany is his country’s most important economic partner.
“Serbia supports the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina”
Vucic underlined that they also made assessments of the two entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republika Srpska (RS), during the meeting and said, “Serbia supports the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is an internationally recognized state. It has never questioned the existence of the RS in Bosnia and Herzegovina, nor has it ever questioned the integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I have repeated this here thousands of times and everyone here knows Serbia’s position on this issue.”
Vucic stated that they respect all signed agreements and that the same will be true for the Dayton Peace Agreement (which ended the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina).
“We agree that escalation can be damaging”
Pistorius also noted that the meeting was brief but honest, and said that Germany’s partner Serbia has the largest economy in the Western Balkans.
Making assessments about RS, Pistorius said, “We agree that escalating tensions can be harmful. The wisdom in political life is to overcome the past by making compromises and to prevent tensions.”
Pistorius stressed the importance of continuing the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue under the mediation of the European Union (EU), noting that Vucic spoke convincingly about not expecting a negative influence from the Serbs that would threaten stability in the region.
Regarding the war in Ukraine, Pistorius stressed that it was important for Serbia to join the EU’s sanctions on this issue.
