Milivojevic: Serbia is independent and has no obligation toward anyone in the political sense

Photo: Medija Centar Beograd

Career diplomat Zoran Milivojevic says that Serbia is independent and therefore politically has no obligations toward the European Union (EU), even though it is a candidate for membership, nor toward BRICS, while cooperation with both sides must exist.

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Milivojevic told Tanjug that 11 extremely important countries will be at an upcoming BRICS forum and that "if there is an invitation" - he would not refuse that invitation.

"Serbia is independent, it is not a member of the European Union, since this is about that. It has no obligation in the political sense not to participate in gatherings of global importance with countries with which it has good relations and where it believes it can achieve certain benefits in any sense, especially regarding the economy," said Milivojevic.

He said that BRICS acts on the principles that everyone stands for - respect for international law, sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference in internal affairs, equal cooperation, not setting conditions.

"According to that, and on that basis, Serbia has no reason not to participate somewhere, especially if it is a forum of 11 extremely important countries," he stated.

He stressed that neither BRICS nor the EU put cooperation into question.

"Neither side (BRICS and the EU) question mutual cooperation. They have never said in the EU that they are against cooperation with BRICS, because they cannot live without that cooperation. Just as the BRICS never said that they are against cooperation with the US and the West. But the way, the principles of cooperation are what differentiates one side from the other," said Milivojevic.

He added that people are wrong when they think that BRICS is an "amorphous mass" because the principles on which it is based are determined by the member states and obligate them to respect the goals.

"And that is cooperation without conditions, on an equal basis, with respect for the principles of international law and with respect for the most important one - non-interference in internal affairs," said Milivojevic.

He said that China, as well as BRICS, does not pursue a policy of introducing sanctions for political reasons because they do not agree with something.

"Is it a condition of BRICS, for example, to introduce some sanctions or to organize a pride parade as a condition for us to be able to open an (accession) chapter? When did you hear that from that side," asked Milivojevic.

Speaking about French President Emmanuel Macron'su upcoming visit to Belgrade, he stated that Serbia is France's choice when it comes to this region and that it can be a better interlocutor, with more understanding, than some other great powers.

He reminded that the attempt to accelerate the entry of so-called Kosovo into the Council of Europe was prevented precisely by France with its involvement, with the support of Italy.

Milivojevic stressed that the economy will be the focus of the bilateral visit, recalling that the visit to Belgrade is taking place at a time when we have an agreement on strategic cooperation, specifying that this is an expression of the political interest of both sides to improve their relations and bring them to a higher political level, while all other elements of cooperation should come from that.

"So, there is a political will, a political interest to institutionalize relations in such a way that they can develop more than what is implied by regular, ordinary relations," said Milivojevic.

According to him, that agreement has been supplemented in two domains - energy and artificial intelligence.

"Incorporating this into the agreement on strategic cooperation creates the conditions to sign bilateral agreements in that sphere, which would turn relations from a state of rest into operational possibilities and into an operational expression of the interests of the two sides," said Milivojevic.

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)