'If I recognized Kosovo, I would receive Nobel Peace Prize': Serbian president

BELGRADE, Serbia

Serbia's president claimed Friday that while recognizing neighboring Kosovo's independence would earn him a Nobel Peace Prize, respect of the people of his country is more important.

"If I recognized Kosovo, I would immediately receive the Nobel Peace Prize, but why do I need that in my life? I need the respect of my people," Aleksandar Vucic told local broadcaster Pink TV on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Kosovo has a mainly Albanian population, with a small percentage of ethnic Serbs, most of them concentrated along the northern border with Serbia.

The Balkan nation declared independence from Serbia in 2008, with most UN member states, including the US, UK, France, Germany, and Türkiye, recognizing it.

Serbia, however, still considers Kosovo its territory.

Commenting on criticism against Serbia by European lawmakers, Vucic suggested that he and Serbia are being targeted in a campaign over his refusal to impose sanctions on Russia.

"If I had imposed sanctions on Russia, I would have been declared king and become an emperor of democracy," said Vucic.

Serbia, a candidate for EU membership, is often criticized for developing ties with China and Russia.

In October, 2023 China signed a free trade deal with Serbia, marking Beijing's first such agreement with a Central and Eastern European country.

The government is facing pressure from the EU and US to recognize Kosovo's independence and impose sanctions on Russia.

Vucic also said Serbia would continue investing in its armed forces and developing domestic industry, underlining that the region is undergoing a trend of military buildup.

"Everyone is arming themselves, everyone is strengthening their military industries. I don't see any danger for us in the arming of the Croatian army, they have the right to arm themselves.

"But we have also invested a lot and will continue to invest in the army, so that we can survive and we are especially looking forward to the growth of our domestic industry," said Vucic.

The Serbian government recently announced a plan to reinstate mandatory military service, which had been suspended in 2011.