President says he refused to meet with Rama

Source: B92, Tanjug

BELGRADE -- Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić's office said late on Monday that he had refused to receive visiting Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.

(Tanjug, file)

The reason is that "provocations were to be expected from him," a statement said.
"On the occasion of the provocations of Albanian Premier Edi Rama during his visit to Serbia, the Presidential Service for Media Cooperation is stressing that this kind of behavior was expected from him, which was the key reason why President Tomislav Nikolić refused to meet with him," a statement said.

It added that "Albania will find it difficult to join the family of modern European states until it gives up on its dream of a hydra called 'Greater Albania'."

"For two and a half years Serbia has been making an effort aimed at the Balkans becoming a safe and prosperous region in Europe - but as long as there are irresponsible politicians like Edi Rama, it is clear it will be a job filled with challenges," the statement said.
After the joint press conference incident, when Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić accused Rama of a breach of protocol for speaking about Kosovo as independent and inviting Serbia to recognize the territory it considers its own, Vučić posted, in English, the following message on Twitter:

"Today was a chance for us to turn a new page. We regret that Prime Minister Rama’s provocation has led to a missed opportunity, but we would still like to work together for the future of our region."

"Presumptuous provocation"

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama abused Serbian hospitality by the presumptuous provocation in Belgrade on Monday in the wish to humiliate Serbia, but he failed, Director of the Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Đurić has said said.

"The invitation voiced by Rama at the news conference following the talks with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić, when Rama said that Serbia should recognize Kosovo's independence, is beyond doubt aimed at the Albanian public and its goal was to create a provocation and potentially cause trouble, Đurić said.

Serbia will not fall for such provocations, just like it did not fall for the provocation at the recently held football match between Serbia and Albania, because Serbia wants cooperation, peace and stability in the region, Đurić said.

Serbia will continue the path of cooperation and stability regardless of the provocations, he said.

Đurić added that he attended the plenary session of the delegations of Serbia and Albania on Monday and added that Kosovo-Metohija was never mentioned.

Not a single word was said by the Albanian prime minister concerning Kosovo, nor did he refer to it in the tete-a-tete talks with the Serbian prime minister, Đurić said.

He noted that the Serbian prime minister reacted with clarity and determination to the gross insults voiced by the Albanian prime minister and asked a simple question as to what the Kosovo-Metohija issue has to do with the improvement of Serbia-Albania relations, to which he received no answer.