After the Serbian-Kosovar border was blocked by militant Serbs, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has now confirmed his country’s peaceful intentions. Peace “almost at any cost” remains the policy, he said Thursday evening.
He took part in a demonstration on the occasion of the 27th anniversary of the Croatian military operation “Storm” (Oluja). In this operation, the separatist “Republic of Serbian Krajina” was recaptured. The anniversary is celebrated as a national holiday in Croatia, but every year since the end of the war in 1995, it has heightened tensions between Belgrade and Zagreb.
This time, the anniversary in Serbia is overshadowed by the recent tensions in northern Kosovo. Local Serbs protested this weekend against a tightening of Kosovo’s entry rules, which were supposed to come into effect in early August but were eventually delayed by a month. Belgrade accuses Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti of wanting to provoke a war with unilateral actions.
Vucic: “Will talk to everyone”
By contrast, according to his own statement, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic relies on peace “almost at any cost”. The country dreams neither of revenge nor of border changes. He would do anything and talk to everyone, he promised.
Operation Storm is traumatic for Serbia. In total, about 200,000 residents of Serbian descent are said to have been expelled. 1,800 people died and 1,183 are still missing. The Serbian government has admitted that war crimes were also committed at the time. Several of those responsible were brought before the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
