Dacic: Serbia is ready to host negotiations between Kiev and Moscow

Photo: mfa.gov.rs

Serbia is ready to become a mediator in the dialogue between Russia and Ukraine at a high level at any time - if the two sides want it, says President of the National Assembly of Serbia Ivica Dacic.

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In an interview with the Russian newspaper Izvestia, Ivica Dacic said that Serbia is ready to offer its good diplomatic services at any time.

"My friend, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov recently spoke positively about this possibility in a conversation with Serbian journalists, and I am glad because of that. Serbia is ready to offer its good diplomatic services and friendly relations to both sides at any time if they want to use that," Dacic said.

He stressed that Serbia, despite pressure from the West and the status of EU candidate, will not join the anti-Russian sanctions because the state interests of Belgrade are at stake.

Dacic further stressed that Serbia suffers from pressure from the West because of this policy, but that it resists, "taking full responsibility," protecting important state interests of Serbia.

"The fact that we are a candidate for EU membership does not obligate us to coordinate every decision with the EU. Especially if we believe that it can be harmful for our country, and sanctions against Russia would be just such a solution," said Dacic.

He added that sanctions against any state cannot be a path to any political solution.

"My country, too, was under sanctions in the 1990s and we know very well that this kind of pressure does not work. Our important state interests are at stake, because we are talking about Russia, our friendly and brotherly country and people, with whom we have extremely developed economic, cultural and every other kind of cooperation," concluded Dacic.

(Telegraf.rs)