well welcome to sophie and co i'm sophie shevardnadze and serbia's course of you integration is impeded once again by simmering tensions with cost of a possible grade going to go around baghdad is to region the name the danger well today i talk about that and more with the president of serbia alexander which. belgrade is no longer an enemy of the west twenty years after nato bombed serbia the country is on a path towards the e.u. and cooperating with the transatlantic dream but the question of the breakaway province of kosovo is still unresolved will it keep the old country from ever integrating into europe against serbia managed to become a part of the west. still keeping traditional tony's. present which is welcome to moscow great to have you on our program it's a first very pleased very pleased to be here. i enjoy spending my time. so you're here discussing a lot of things with good you seek his support and advise on costello you just came

from the meeting with president putin what he had why we. discussed all important issues on. the political scene in the western balkans and the entire region of south east southeast europe and also we discussed i discussed or. you shoes or political economic and just one sentence to you was to say that. we do have better and better economic relationship and. our trade exchange rates right trade turnover is growing last two or it was. just three percent bigger and twenty sixteen this year it's going to be once again twenty percent more and. resigning we're doing the job in a very proper way without indoor economic cooperation and collaboration speaking

about the most important political issues we have always had that kind of support and. assistance and there to save an endorsement in the most important issues where the most significant issues for serbia i felt very comfortable in bolton's words on further support for serbia's territorial integrity which was not only an issue of serbia which became an issue of minnesota states that were put in jeopardy because of you know let's roll auctions. some other you know territories or people that are nations. let's go by point regarding that especially cause so it's always relevant as all it's always relevant but especially now it's been back in the news because you are seeking to mend ties with kosovo but you're saying it has to be

a two way street you're in favor of the so-called land deal that would actually see kosovo divided on the think lines right now christiane i saying no partition to any part of kosovo firstly i was not saying that we should do and i have never mentioned that the sort of partition. by and on or based on the clause. there was only one sentence that i have always been saying we need to reach we need to find a compromising solution between serbs and albanians. which means that it cannot be the case that all being is get everything serves got the thing again as again absolutely everything. that i've ever dreamed of serves that absolutely nothing. that was why and that was over that was serbia's first and the only position that

we have never left then. we faced response from different sides. russia was saying ok. if serbia agrees or something because we consider serbia as a sovereign state you saw real reason something was supported which was very much in accordance with or absolutely in accordance with international public law and that's why we respected and appreciated that political editor the president ought to know russia very much on the other hand without a very clear response from several e.u. countries they were totally against it they were saying just to clear it up that. if that happens serbia will open doors box on those walls about what are the changes and of us interests agree i totally disagree totally white how can we open

pandora's box who opened the doors books in two thousand and eight accepting acknowledging and recognizing an independence of course or unilaterally proclaimed . they were doing so. when they say to me ok we don't want to change the borders i mean really reply to them saying. it was it also is a part of serbia there are no border changes no no no we accept the border changes that we did ten years ago but now you cannot do it even if you will the groove on that with your counterparts the world being a culture pots then say where are the principles other only principles you can do it you can change our territory and we cannot do it it was not a box that was open ten years ago but it is pandora's box that is going to be open all that's lazy basically reopening box they mean serbs living in us in herzegovina

or the albanian minority in macedonia what do you say to them to that i say to them ok if you first of all we do support territorial integrity of bosnia we have never mentioned anything about it but i speak about of course all your people firstly agreed then recognized social of want to know you are from former yugoslavia from former yugoslavia am i right it happened in two thousand and six if you're a member in two thousand and eight you took a new recognize an independence of course from serbia how did you derive that's right what was the way to derive that right. and that was not an opening of pandora's box and no it would be an opening of the last box even though we've serbs and albanians would decide making such an arrangement that's the hypocrisy but like you've mentioned in your answer in the beginning there are still

against it i mean yes russia supports you america is in saying that if serbia and kosovo find a mutual agreement will support it but european partners are saying dollars box so how healthy is it to actually try to mend ties with kosovo because you're trying to do that as much as you can while your most important partners because you want to be part of the you are say no no go on keep on fighting how else is that it's a weird situation if you divide it in this way i will define it and a slightly different way i would say it's a very complicated situation but at the same time we have a different agenda or some other issues which is nato membership serbia. most probably very soon will be the only country in the region that is not aspiring nato membership and we don't hide that there are different reasons why that political attitude from serbian side including and with does happen to our country and to all people that are man tonight and that's what we have difference between

serbian all the others that's another difference that's you know you're in a very very special case and. you see you know the situation in most i don't know. people didn't decide or people didn't say yes and that's referendum but as a mother who cares about the referendum results don't go for it you know yeah they said the results were great even though less than fifty percent of people showed up they don't mind if i may say we think that whatever was said only angry is greece might agree on something we would support and that would be very important for them but you cannot undermine. people's decision of cannot undermine people's real people in the balkans they expect respect as well as all the others they just expect normal appreciation. and they want to be heard and

that's what i wanted to say speaking about serbia russia. we are heard that's very important for us and we feel that we are respected by our colleagues were russian friends is my impression right when i say that you probably first prize in the long time who is actually open to mending ties with kosovo and you speak about it but you don't get much response from the closer side you're you're right we sided brussels agreement every fulfilled all orrible a geisha was from brussels every month. or the other side. they had only one of the geisha which. which was forty forty five percent of overall brussels agreement and that obligation was. foundation and establishment of so community service will shoot association doesn't matter who

called it they didn't do it they didn't do a single small step forward on this issue and it was tolerated by international community when i say international communities and you know from isn't for the western world. this is nothing to them it would there were no remarks but we delivered absolutely everything on different issues regional police justice and traditionally issue telecommuter and many other issues they did nothing. i said ok i went to fulfill it or not are going to make pressure on your guys to fulfill what they signed and you course signed together with us the paper. and then we got a response ok was weak about general resolution of your problems or so ok let us speak about it we are open to speak about it from the very beginning i hope that some people in pristina as well as other people in brussels

will do their best. to reach a compromise and solution now i can tell you that i will always be ready to carry on with a dialogue always be ready to negotiate on whatever you want but in the meantime we lost or trust and confidence in albania side that they really want to reach any kind of compromising solution because they were doing their best all the provocations. and they're doing absolutely everything just to undermine it all or affords and will instead of lowering of expectations of their people they are expanding their acts with patients in a scene that there is no for a tell ground for possible war when it went well anyway serbia will always be ready to continue to resume with the process of dialogue but i'm not expecting.

very much as a result of the surprise and we're going to take a show break right now when we're back we'll continue talking to alexandra what she's talking about services session to the e.u. and its relations with the united states stay with us. still to public well. when the ruling classes protect

themselves. in the final. we can all middle of the room see. the more you leave his room will. join me every thursday on the all excitement and i'll be speaking to us of the world of politics all this list i'm sure. i'll see that.

you know we're back with alexander from church serbian leader as you present you just mobilize serbian army because dick hosmer leader went to visit the area with the majority and with arabs there so because of that why was it it's it's a view from outside people would say ok those guys wanted to visit one part of kosovo and then they will mobilize your army. they really remained i understand why you mobilized the army yes they were coming there with. machine guns well we have horses and everything else and they don't have right to come there with that kind of weaponry that was a. verbal arrangement although there is a statement done by nato plus of being as a serbs after brussels agreement we made also in brussels that there were two preconditions if someone would like to bring let's say machine guns to the north of course or one and the most important precondition was still these the consent of

local sort of community they didn't ask him. any single sort of about saying yes to the visit of the tree and it's not about his visit it's about weaponry his people were using. and that was another publication and they wanted you know to show that they were in charge that they can do it whenever they want and whatever they want of course to frighten the serbs was again that's what they wanted to do and they didn't and the other precondition was consent of nato we don't know what it was doing but you know there was a concept of nato there was not fulfilled. and that's a precondition. number one. which was consent of sore people serbian people and they didn't have it at all that's why we needed to react otherwise. they

can conquer north of course or they can expel all or people and everyone from some community would say or. most of them would say well ok it happens you know moshe live in peace and now we have borders in a way that we wanted serbia cannot agree on this so. i mean it was seemed to me our job was just to send a strong message that we would protect our people from the guys that would use heavy weaponry against our guys in the north of course and i think the message was received yes well heard you mentioned in the beginning that you are the only country in the region doesn't aspire to be part of nato but also you are a major still enjoy a great relations twenty years after the bombings you do mutual exercises they conduct exercises on your territory and then when it comes down to it you just mentioned and we do the same exercises with russia absolutely absolutely but when

you claimed i was a major didn't do anything with this incident it's a nato controlled territory what do you what do you get in return when you copper it with nature this much you get it do you feel like you get in return as much as you would have liked to put yourself into our shoes. please we are not russia we are not become true although we are the biggest of us and boko we are a small country we have to protect our country we have to protect our people and we have to maintain peace tranquility and stability within the region we need to boost our economic development we need to attract more of investors we cannot say everything that we think to every one just cannot it's a different position or not as big as russia or another strong as russia we have to. keep the momentum of asking and trying.

to carry on with the same or even bigger and better level of cooperation with all the others but at the same time don't forget. it's not only about they it was for a sense that we don't have to serve you as the only country to them who is an essential information. we really think that it's an easy decision for serbia do you really think that we didn't face a lot of pressure from different sides on this issue yes for that mr president i have to ask you i mean and you said it so many times that you will never sacrifice your in membership or your relationship with russia you've been showing a great example of how not to do that but the day will come and you know it will come when they'll say alexander. why don't you join the sanctions and your membership to the not only our friendship what's very close ties with russia and i

don't hide it as you know your because you were insisting from the very first moment of your interview. everything that i was saying about european union betrayed all right but you don't mention the fact that even in washington or in brussels or today in english language i'm saying. that people are very close ties with russia always we don't know what will happen in the future still don't know but. i think that our european partners will always understand serbia when are you sure is russia i just have one last question or two about president trump because he's a very unconventional american leader i mean he's ves of the world and the way america should be are unlike the ones of his predecessors is not very sympathetic towards a you i mean he's declaring taric wars in china our european union doesn't really like nato because he says like everyone should pay up not only america does that change anything for serbia i say or service stance. you've invited him to come to

serbia and if that serbian wanted to serve in so far and away we sort of was. they prefer no doubt trump than obama why. i don't know because serbs have always thought that it was democrats fault. most that aggression and the insurgent over his support it's republican party as you may well see and. trump as you said is pretty much in question in the. you know only a few things about it is all that ticks almost nothing about his politics of the balkans but at least. he. opened the doors for possible arrangement between build it in place and that's what we appreciate and that's slightly a change. their politics would have to see both of which will have to see i cannot

assess what they cannot estimated some are asking is that the russians were also excited about trump winning because well fed thought that republicans were better than democrats for russia and put him in trouble i could see out there on a personal level but then there's the establishment that wouldn't let him do anything that's why i'm very well for the rational approach so i'm not excited. about the motion of the poll or russia or bolton as i said to you maybe twenty eight to see what is going to be the final result of their stances their position their attitude over serbia or. western balkans right mr president thank you very much for this insightful interview thank you very much and that was to tell you the truth. pretty much positively surprised by the knowledge that you have shown and there are very few politicians in serbia that would. understand all the questions and all the issues and to just

a cold thank you i love your country and i wish l. the best of luck will love your country and research all the best to your country and we hope that. we'll be able to preserve. the best possible solution between our two countries amen. please. please. please. correct additional subversive note of what was announced at the to linger some it's just a good usual thing isn't the most. simple

yet so intimate regional show procedure. looked at with a showing at the brentwood ship's going to snooze last when i tried to do you think i'm sure. you have the sleep study. both of shipping. yet when you lost it both the book did the work of the books and you will still lose you know i don't know what that for. you is the latest news in the us. but arsenal boys in blue flight so you have put this was going to so. little fish through the summer in the store. it doesn't. know who is going to accept the slow drivers or the far right move for the little it's.

all over television. i don't but it's thought i. mean a lot of times in my well i'm somebody doesn't know it's a masculine you never know what's happening and whether they're shooting whether it's here. and it's not the tibetans are. sad. because they. just think of that indian you but i'm addicted to sit with your middle class and in the muslims all these clear when the.

the idea of freedom of speech is under threat speaking your mind can blind you into serious trouble now you are presumed guilty and must prove your innocence the herd moves and the sovereign individual who is cowed into silence speech has been redefined as purchasing. the way to the united states is dangerous for most of the illegal immigrants. just as they would a simple they want to become lost in the us to sum this up but if many of them look for refuge in the so-called sentries sides of the refuse to share information about undocumented migrants with federal authorities the best person to ask bank of mom. policy to point out. that at best when i get a question what a bad. rap they have or what are their options to stay in the country with donald trump in the white house all. the who could be bad to the.

affairs it struggles of many couples won't. kill the chance of putting food impulse response both of you up of up to the bulk of the. moscow in new delhi signed a contract for the delivery of russian s four hundred air defense systems with india defying a us threat of sanctions. also this hour a tribunal here's how informants to britain's am i fired secret service are allowed to break the law if it prevents a bigger crime. and the west's hits out at russia's g.r.u. military intelligence service exposing an alleged campaign of cyber attacks around

the world including on the international chemical weapons watchdogs.