‘No white flag’: Serbia will keep balancing ties with West, Russia & China, President Vucic says

Belgrade wants to keep balancing its ties with the West, China and Russia, as Serbia seeks to join the EU and reach a settlement with Kosovo, President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday, ahead of a parliamentary election.

Vucic’s ruling Serbian Progressive Party is a frontrunner in a parliamentary election on June 21. He told Reuters that Serbia was ready to talk to the breakaway province Kosovo “without a timeline” and “in good faith,” but that mutual recognition was not on the agenda.

“We are ready for talks but… no white flag,” the president said in an interview. “We believe it is in the best interest of [Kosovo] Albanians and the international community… to talk about a free flow of capital, people and services.”

Vucic also said Serbia did not plan to choose between Russia, a natural Slavic and Orthodox Christian ally, the EU, Serbia’s main trading partner, and China.