Vucic: I said in Brussels there was no sound cannon, we are ready to verify that

BRUSSELS - Speaking to reporters after a working dinner with European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on Tuesday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said they had discussed Serbia's strategic EU path and the situation in the country.

Vucic said he had told the EU officials there had been no sound cannon at a March 15 protest in Belgrade and that Serbia stood ready for a verification of his claim.

"I told my hosts there was no sound cannon whatsoever and that we are ready to verify that in every way, and that we will also provide a response to the European Court of Human Rights in spite of the fact there is no country in Europe where that (sound cannons) is prohibited. They are used in the US almost on a daily basis, and we did not use one, we have nothing to hide and we are fully open to that being seen and assessed in every possible way," Vucic said.

He announced that representatives of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) would come to Belgrade in two or three days for an investigation into the matter and that he hoped officials of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) would arrive in seven or eight days, and added that UN representatives were welcome as well.

Vucic also said he had told Costa and von der Leyen Serbia would be absolutely committed to its EU path - even more so than it had been in the past.

"But I also said that we will soon either have a decision to form a new government or a decision to go to new elections," he said, noting that he was very pleased with the discussion with Costa and von der Leyen.

"I am pleased and I believe this conversation meant much for Serbia's future, and I believe that is yet to be seen in the near future," he added.

Vucic said Serbia's European future had been the key topic.

"We discussed the political situation in the region, the necessity to preserve stability and peace. At the same time, we discussed the economic situation, as well as things in the field of rule of law that Serbia must do to secure the opening of Cluster 3, then Cluster 2 and then the last cluster, Cluster 5, if I am not mistaken," he said, adding that Serbia's goal was to open at least two clusters - Clusters 3 and 2 - by the end of the year to accelerate its progress on the EU path.

Vucic said they had also discussed the economy and investments, as well as the EU's interest in mineral raw materials and joint projects with Serbia.

"We also talked about the defence industry and everything the EU has envisioned as potential funding for the European defence industry and whether, and to what extent, that also applies to candidate countries," he said.