Dacic: Serbia must take care of its national interests

Sponsors of Kosovo's independence and those who back moves against Serbia cannot expect Serbia to shut its doors to friends and impose sanctions on them, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said Thursday.

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"That is not normal, no country in the world would do that, and neither will Serbia. If Russia and China are the ones not allowing the issue of Kosovo's independence and Serbia's territorial integrity to be solved in the UN Security Council by outvoting the other side, we have a national and state interest that definitely warrants a cautious approach to these matters, and I know well that all of your countries are pursing similar policies," Dacic told a conference titled "The European Union's Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy and the Western Balkans."

Speaking about energy independence from Russia, which the EU is allegedly aiming to achieve in the Western Balkans, Dacic said he would like Germany to have the same position on Russia.

"Serbia cannot have a problem because of the South Stream without Germany having a problem because of the Nord Stream. Serbia cannot have a problem due to not complying with an energy package if Germany does the same. Principles are principles, I guess, and the same applies to Serbia, Germany or Italy - that is the essence of the policy we must pursue," he noted.

Serbia wants to become an EU member but, on the other hand, it must take care of its national and state interests, Dacic said.

(Telegraf.co.uk / Tanjug)