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Boris Pistorius and Aleksandar Vucic (r) give a press conference together.
© Soeren Stache/dpa
The German Defense Minister concludes his Balkan trip in Belgrade.
Serbia has a key to solving important problems, but it is not letting its cards be seen.
Belgrade/Sarajevo - Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has called on Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to help reduce new tensions in the Balkans.
“We must work together to prevent a spiral of escalation from occurring, regardless of whoever controls it.
We must do everything we can to ensure that tensions are not inflamed.
And it must be clear: violence and threats are not a means of political debate, anywhere in the world,” said the SPD politician in Belgrade at a meeting with Vucic.
Pistorius warned the Serbian president and other actors in the region: “There is no path to the European Union through conflicts in this region.”
After the conversation, Pistorius spoke of a “very fruitful, open exchange,” which also discussed the situation in Bosnia and the ongoing secessionist tendencies of the Bosnian Serbs.
“We assume that Serbia does not support any secession efforts, for example in the Republic of Srpska, but rather stands up for the stability of the region and for the integrity of the respective national territory,” he said.
Vucic: Serbia is interested in stability
The Serbian president said there were different views on Kosovo and other issues, but his country was interested in stability.
“Serbia will not surprise anyone with military measures,” he said.
“My word is worth more than any signature.” At the same time, Vucic made it clear that he would not allow anything to be forced on him, not even from Washington, Berlin or Moscow.
Hours earlier, in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, Pistorius had spoken out in favor of ramping up military security for peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina if necessary.
During a visit to Sarajevo by the EU mission Eufor Althea, he reiterated the Allies' determination to preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the State of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
“In Serbia and in the Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia repeatedly finds breeding ground for its attempts to destabilize the region and expand its own influence, for example through disinformation campaigns and influencing the media,” warned Pistorius.
“The resulting tensions in the Western Balkans require that we continue our stabilization measures and, if necessary, intensify them in consultation with our local partners.” He speaks from the perspective of NATO and the EU.
The Bundeswehr has stationed around 30 men and women in Bosnia - with the aim of contributing to stabilization.
Eufor Althea's central task is to support the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the Bosnian war in 1995.
However, the country remains a possible source of conflict.
The soldiers contribute to an information picture through patrols, contact with the population and institutions and their own situation reports.
Pistorius had visited the Kosovo capital Pristina the day before.
dpa