Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke by phone today with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, and the two discussed cooperation in the fields of energy, infrastructure and new technologies, as well as the political situation in Serbia, BTA reported.
"I informed President Macron about the political situation and the protests taking place in Serbia and said that I believe that dialogue is the only way out of the political crisis," Vučić wrote on his official Instagram account.
He pointed out that during the conversation, the geopolitical conditions and the situation in the region, bilateral relations and Serbia's European path were discussed.
"I thanked President Macron for his friendship and continued French support for Serbia, our European integration and for preserving stability in the Western Balkans. I reaffirmed our country's commitment to reforms, strengthening the rule of law and constructive dialogue for the purpose of common progress and a better life for all citizens," Vucic wrote.
He also stressed the importance of French investments in Serbia.
The Elysee Palace also reported on the conversation, indicating that Macron expressed confidence that Serbia's future is European, TANJUG reported.
“In this context, Macron stressed that he believes in Serbia's ability to find, avoiding any form of violence from any side, a path to dialogue while respecting the sensitivities of all, which will allow for strengthening trust in institutions and for progress on the country's European path,“ said a statement published on the official website of the Elysee Palace.
It is also recalled that the French president, during his visit to Belgrade in August last year expressed confidence in Serbia's European destiny.
Serbia has been witnessing protests for over three months over the collapse of the Novi Sad train station canopy, which killed 15 people. Protesters accuse the government of corruption and nepotism, which led to poor-quality repairs to the station and the subsequent tragedy.
The daily protests across Serbia have become a major challenge for President Vucic. The student-led movement led to the resignation of Prime Minister Miloš Vucić. Two ministers had previously resigned in connection with the Novi Sad tragedy.
The President of Bosnian Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik, a Donald Trump fan, accused the US Agency for International Development (USAID) today of trying to “destabilize” Bosnia and announced an investigation into the activities of the agency that Trump wants to close, reported Agence France-Presse, quoted by BTA.
The Agency for International Development manages a budget of more than $40 billion, intended for humanitarian aid and development assistance in about 120 countries, including Bosnia. According to the latest information from the US Embassy in Sarajevo, more than $2 billion (1.9 billion euros) of American aid has been invested in Bosnia since 1995.
“They spent huge amounts of money to destabilize Bosnia and Herzegovina and sow hatred and discord among the people“, Dodik wrote on his profile on the social network Ex.
Specifically accusing the US ambassador to Bosnia, Michael Murphy, Dodik claims that the US agency tried to “control the parliamentary elections“ in October 2022, a vote that was largely won in Republika Srpska, the part of Bosnia populated mainly by Bosnian Serbs, by Dodik and his party.
Dodik, who is close to the Kremlin, announced that an investigation would be conducted. “Everyone who had connections with USAID will be covered”, he threatened, mentioning some media outlets and NGOs and specifying that “40,000 people” were affected.
The Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior confirmed that it had launched an investigation into “published information” about Agency for International Development funds that were allegedly “used to influence the elections”.
Dodik has been on the US list of sanctioned individuals since 2022. for his separatist rhetoric undermining the Dayton Peace Agreement that ended the Bosnian War (1992-95) and for corruption.