Serbia’s foreign minister meets Russian counterpart Lavrov, stresses good relations

Serbia wants to develop good relations with Russia, Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said after meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, at an international conference in Antalya, Turkey.

“We want to develop good relations with Russia,” Dacic told reporters. “We are grateful to them for their positive attitude at the session of the UN Security Council (on Kosovo) and we must first of all work on our interests.”

“In today’s story, there is some Russian influence in the Balkans – meaning in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina,” he added. “I don’t know what kind of Russian influence prevents North Macedonia from opening negotiations with the EU or leads to the collapse of some other bilateral relations.”

Serbia, a European Union candidate country, has consistently refused to align its foreign policy with the bloc since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Instead, it has signed several agreements, exchanged high-level diplomatic visits, and even celebrated the purchase of weapons from Russia.

Meanwhile, Russian influence in the Western Balkans continues to be a concern, particularly in Kosovo, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, leading to fears of instability and even conflict.

President Aleksandar Vučić explained the position in an interview with TASS Director General Andrei Kondrashov, stressing that he “intends to maintain an independent policy regarding the non-imposition of anti-Russian sanctions, despite immense pressure from the West”.

“We are not boasting or anything like that, but as you can see, my answer will continue to be that we will strive to defend our position for as long as possible. We have succeeded in doing so for two years. Whether we will continue to do so – I don’t know, but I hope,” Vučić added.

(Jelena Nikolić | Euractiv.rs)