Vučić on 13 Years of Brussels Agreement: Albanians Didn't Want Peace, Nor Did Those Who Forced Us

On the 13th anniversary of the Brussels Agreement, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić delivered a stark assessment of the pact's implementation, characterizing the intervening years as marked by "lies." Speaking to Kosovo Online, Vučić expressed deep disappointment, asserting that Pristina has no intention of establishing the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO), a key provision of the agreement.

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I am ashamed that six out of ten points of the Brussels Agreement related to the establishment of the ZSO have not been fulfilled, and I believe the shame is not mine, but that of those who guaranteed it – the European Union.

Vučić reflected on his initial hopes for good relations with Albanians and belief in their desire for peace and stability. However, he admitted to being mistaken, stating that neither Pristina nor the international actors who pressured Belgrade into the agreement truly desired peace. He voiced shame not for Serbia's position, but for the "guarantors" – specifically the European Union – who have failed to uphold their commitments, particularly regarding the ZSO, which remains unfulfilled despite 13 years of dialogue.

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There was always only one desire – how and in what way to force the Serbs to accept the independence of Kosovo.

The Serbian president detailed the extensive diplomatic efforts, including 245 meetings and 38 high-level talks, all of which, he claimed, were aimed at coercing Serbia into accepting Kosovo's independence, both de jure and de facto. Vučić dismissed these efforts as "games and tricks," reiterating his conviction that Pristina will not form the ZSO. He anticipates that Serbia will face proposals for alternative arrangements within Kosovo's system, a move he believes is designed to circumvent the original agreement's intent.

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I am convinced that Pristina will not establish the ZSO.

Despite the persistent pressures and the threat of sanctions, Vučić firmly declared that Serbia will not accept or recognize Kosovo's independence. He asserted that no future government in Serbia would have the authority to make such a concession. Recalling the signing of the agreement on April 19, 2013, he described it as a difficult day filled with compromises under "almost impossible conditions." Yet, he maintained that the agreement, despite its flaws, secured fundamental rights and the survival of the Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija without recognizing Kosovo's statehood. He likened Serbia's adherence to the agreement to its commitment to the Dayton Peace Agreement, acknowledging that both were controversial but necessary compromises.

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Regardless of the pressures, Serbia will not accept and recognize Kosovo's independence and there is no government that can do that in the future.