Nikolić: If I'm not welcome in Sarajevo, I won't go

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić spoke in an interview for RTS, among other things, about the situation in the region, Patria reports.

He said he is satisfied with relations with neighboring countries and assessed that they are excellent. When it was noted that this could not be said for relations with Croatia, he stated that this is because "we sometimes respond."

-That is the dilemma I resolved with silence, and then someone thinks you are weak, said Nikolić, adding that Serbia should not remain silent.

He emphasized that as President of the Republic of Serbia, he extended his hand to everyone.

-We have established good relations with Slovenia and have not spoiled them, said Nikolić.

He recalled that he received the highest representatives of both Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina for official visits in Serbia, but that he was never invited for an official visit to those countries.

-We have two problems, one in Zagreb, one in Sarajevo, and both are caused by nationalism, said Nikolić, stating that local political representatives base their reputation on nationalism and especially on the fact that they will "defend" Croats, i.e., Bosniaks, from Serbs.

We have no problem with Croatia, he added, and we would gladly travel for visits.

-But they fear what the ultranationalists will say to them, that is what distinguishes us, because Serbia is not led by ultranationalists but by people who love Serbia, stated Nikolić.

Asked how many times we have said that we support BiH as established by the Dayton Agreement, Nikolić emphasized that he does not want to visit Sarajevo, where a representative of one nation says "he is not a welcome guest to us."

-So, I was in RS and would gladly go to Sarajevo – the first time Izetbegović prevented it, the second time Izetbegović prevented it, said Nikolić.

He also recalled the attack on Aleksandar Vučić in Potočari, noting that we have "put that aside."

Commenting on the announcement from BiH about launching a review of the verdict against Serbia in The Hague, Nikolić asked what that means now, after 10 years.

-What review? Will those judges now deliver a different verdict?, asked Nikolić, also posing the question of how the Serbian people in BiH will feel "when they see that one nation, through its representative, initiates a review against them, to condemn the motherland for committing genocide."

-Belgrade's position is that this move calls into question Izetbegović's sincere desire to live nicely, peacefully, neighborly with 1.2 million Serbs in BiH, says Nikolić.

He believes it is about an internal need of Bakir Izetbegović, for which he should not pit the peoples living in that territory against each other.

-Belgrade can only give support to BiH, and to the Serbian people in BiH, and to the Serbian entity in BiH, and Belgrade cannot say it is not interested. We will do everything possible and we are obliged to provide all legal assistance to have all that rejected. I don't know how Izetbegović found refuge to be the one to initiate the review, when he knows that even a part of his entity is against it, said Nikolić.

Regarding the visit to Sarajevo, he added:

-If I'm not welcome, I won't go.