Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić called for an open dialogue with anti-government protesters, after more than nine months of demonstrations and recent clashes that have called into question his rule.
In an address on national television from his office in Belgrade, Vučić said he was ready to talk to representatives of students and other protest movements, including in television debates.
"I offer discussion and debate on all televisions and portals with legitimate representatives - those they choose themselves," said the head of state.
The protests in the country began after the collapse of the roof of a renovated train station in Novi Sad in November last year, killing 16 people. The demonstrations, mainly against corruption, have been going on for nine months and are seriously shaking the power of Vucic and the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SPP).
The president stressed that the solution must come through conversation, not conflict: "I want us to clash visions, to solve this through dialogue and conversation - without violence. To rebuild the country and return it to where it was nine months ago."
However, reactions have been mixed. Student organizations did not immediately comment on the statement, but the leader of the centrist opposition party Move-Change, Savo Manojlovic, dismissed the possibility of talks. "A president who resorts to violence is not someone with whom you can debate politics. This is a corrupt government that tramples on democracy and human rights," he said, adding: "You can't create a fire department with an arsonist."
So far, the protests have been mostly peaceful, but in early August they escalated into clashes that left dozens of police officers and citizens injured and hundreds detained. The demonstrators are demanding early elections and accusing the authorities of widespread corruption, links to organized crime, violence against political opponents and curbs on media freedoms - charges that the government denies.