Vladimir Lučić, the CEO of Telekom Srbija, recently visited Washington, where he participated in a panel discussion on the future of media, organized by the Transatlantic Leadership Network. During his stay, Lučić also had several important meetings with U.S. officials concerning the status of Telecom Serbia in Kosovo and Metohija.
In an interview with RTS, Lučić expressed a more optimistic outlook following these discussions. “This is my fourth visit this year, and we held a number of crucial meetings, including with officials at the U.S. State Department. Once again, we highlighted the main issue we’re facing in Kosovo and Metohija,” said Lučić.
He emphasized that the administration of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti continues to discriminate against Telekom Srbija, merely because it is a Serbian company. “They want to allocate the 5G frequency spectrum between two operators in Pristina, excluding us, even though we have expressed our interest and submitted a request. This is happening solely because we are Serbian,” Lučić explained.
Despite these challenges, Lučić remains optimistic about the future, pointing out that during his Washington visit, many officials understood the situation. “We were in a much worse position a year ago,” he noted.
According to Lučić, the Pristina administration had previously aimed to shut down Telekom Srbija in Kosovo and Metohija, but thanks to support from the U.S. administration, this plan was thwarted. “I believe the current situation is favorable for us, and I don’t think their efforts to limit us to two operators in Pristina will succeed. We have the Brussels Agreement on our side, and we have their permission,” Lučić stated.
He further underlined the importance of Telekom Srbija’s presence in Kosovo and Metohija, not only for its 250 employees but also for the 30,000 households it serves in the region. “Their goal was to eliminate us last August, and when that failed, they attempted to block our expansion. This is part of a broader plan to drive out the Serbian population from the area,” Lučić said.
Telekom Srbija continues to actively pursue a license to operate 5G services in Kosovo and Metohija, an issue Lučić had previously discussed in a TV interview a month ago.
