An interview with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was featured on the popular BBC News program “Hard Talk.”
Host Stephen Sackur discussed Serbia’s position on the global stage and asked whether the country plans to align more closely with the West or with Russia and China.
The first question focused on Vucic’s involvement with the Serbian Radical Party during the breakup of Yugoslavia, as well as the changes in his political stance today.
Vucic stated that he is not ashamed to admit he has changed since his time with the Radicals.
“We have different views on that matter,” Vucic said, referring to who bears responsibility for the tragic events in the former Yugoslavia.
He reiterated the saying, “Only donkeys never change.”
When asked about the Srebrenica resolution, Vucic pointed out that he had been physically attacked during his visit to the town. He also highlighted that Serbia’s position on whether the events were classified as genocide was supported by 109 countries in the UN General Assembly.
“We consider this a political initiative. As you have seen, 109 countries share our stance. People do not understand why some other massacres or major atrocities have not been recognized as genocide. If it’s about expressing condolences or honoring victims, I am always ready to do so. I believe in reconciliation in the region, but I do not believe in this type of narrative that will perpetually create new political conflicts and troubles,” said Vucic.
When asked about last summer’s “Serbian Unity” event, which brought together Serbs and leaders from Serbia as well as Serbian communities in neighboring Balkan countries, Vucic responded by drawing a parallel, saying that the host’s country also holds similar gatherings to unite members of the Commonwealth.
The host then remarked that a declaration from the event described the Serbian people as one united entity—one nation, one parliament. He added that this raised concerns across the region, with many in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia interpreting it as a sign that the idea of Greater Serbia might still be alive.
“No, it isn’t true. This is a completely fabricated story by those who wish to harm Serbia and its national interests. I’ll explain how easily this can happen—by quoting something out of context. We have no aspirations for a single parliament. That was an assembly of the Serbian people, not a genuine parliament. The true parliament exists in Serbia, and they have one in Republika Srpska or elsewhere. These are different matters.
What we stated in the declaration is that we fully support adherence to the terms of the peace agreement signed in 1995. I’ve said it thousands of times, and I repeat it now: we respect the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina in accordance with international public law and the Dayton Peace Agreement, as well as the territorial integrity of Republika Srpska within Bosnia,” Vucic emphasized.
He also questioned what was unclear in his statement.
“This was said dozens of times that day, yet no one wanted to relay that message. What we intended to highlight is that no one has the right to diminish or take away the Serbian people’s right to use their language, their Cyrillic script, or anything else,” Vucic stated.
When the host pointed out that Milorad Dodik, the President of Republika Srpska, has claimed that Bosnia and Herzegovina is nearing its end and expressed a desire for secession, he asked Vucic whether he supports Dodik or tells him that secession and unification with Serbia are not possible.
Vucic replied that he maintains a relatively good relationship with Dodik and respects him but does not issue orders to him.
“I am not authorized to make any decisions on behalf of Republika Srpska. I am the President of Serbia. But look how hypocritical this is—when someone wanted to secede from the former Yugoslavia, you were very supportive of those people and those former republics. Yet, if someone wants to secede from them, it suddenly becomes the greatest crime. Let me tell you, do not worry about Serbia,” Vucic stated.
He added that he believes Dodik has been provoked by various actions from the High Representatives, Bosniaks in Sarajevo, or anyone else.
“But those are questions for him. As for Serbia, Serbia supports the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the integrity of Republika Srpska within Bosnia. I can repeat this a thousand times, and you will not find a single statement from me on this issue that differs from what I have just said,” Vucic emphasized.
When asked what Dodik and the Bosnian Serbs intend to do, since they will never be allowed to join with Serbia, Vucic responded that they have never asked for this nor have they expressed such intentions.
“They have occasionally spoken about their rights and not always about leaving Bosnia, but rather about uniting with Serbia. Serbia has its borders according to the constitution and in accordance with international public law, the UN Charter, and UN resolutions. We do not need anything more, nothing that will come from anyone else. And we will not give anyone anything that belongs to us,” Vucic stated.
The host also touched on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija, stating that Serbia de facto recognizes Kosovo, which President Vucic disagreed with.
President Vucic clarified that it has never been stated that Serbia recognizes Kosovo.
“Normalization of relations means peace and stability, developing our economies, and engaging in dialogue on various issues. This is more of a question for those who open Pandora’s box. When you ask people if they recognize the territorial integrity of Ukraine, they say they do. But when you ask them about the bombing of Serbia in violation of the UN Charter, then they have nothing to say,” Vucic said.
Vucic emphasized that although we have Resolution 1244 today, there has been no answer to the question of the aggression against the FRY.
He stressed that he believes in peace.
“We don’t provoke anyone, and we won’t. I’m happy with our economic development; Serbia is one of the fastest-growing economies in Europe.”
The host also asked about Serbia’s relationship with Russia.
Vucic responded by saying that trade with Russia has decreased significantly, now being half of what it once was.
“Many have imposed sanctions on Russia, but they are buying twice as much gas from her as before. I am not sitting on two chairs, as you can see, I am sitting on only one – the Serbian chair. We supported Ukraine in terms of financial and humanitarian aid. There is no contradiction here, we are morally principled,” Vucic said.
Vucic stated that the EU report indicates Serbia has made limited progress on its path toward Europe.
“That doesn’t mean we are going backward. I completely agree with you that there are many things we need to work on, and that’s why we closely cooperate with institutions like ODIHR. The EU report states that the Serbian economy is functioning perfectly, but you’re not interested in mentioning that,” Vucic said.
When asked whether Serbia is leaning towards the EU or Russia and China, the President of Serbia said that he is proud to be sitting exclusively at Serbia’s table.
“Our goal is to become a full member of the EU, and we will do everything in our power to achieve that by the end of 2026,” Vucic said.
“Trump asked me if I have problems with the Chinese. I told him no, we don’t have a problem with the Chinese. People can insult me, despise me, and hate me, but this is my stance,” concluded Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
To remind you, Vucic had previously announced his appearance on the British television channel through his Instagram profile.
“BBC Hard Talk – Is Serbia moving toward the West, Russia, or China? Monday, November 25th, BBC World at 1:30 AM (after midnight), 11:30 AM, and 11:30 PM,” he posted.
