German ambassador told that "Russia is Serbia's friend"

Opposition Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) deputy leader Nenad Popovic sent an open letter on Sunday to German Ambassador in Belgrade Wolfram Maas. In it, he noted that "Russia has been a friend to Serbia for centuries and that cooperation between the two countries should be even better in the future". German ambassador told that "Russia is Serbia's friend" Reacting to Maas's statement that Russia "did not give any financial assistance to Serbia" during DSS party leader Vojislav Kostunica's entire term as prime minister, and is "deliberately stalling the realization of a loan approved three years ago", Popovic said that the DSS leader had never asked Russia for economic assistance, but for cooperation in the interest of both countries. According to him, during the mandate of Kostunica's government, Serbia signed an agreement with Russia in the area of oil and gas, on the basis of which Russian company Gazprom has invested over EUR 1 billion in the modernization of Oil Industry of Serbia (NIS) over the past three years. Popovic added that in late 2012 construction will start on the South Stream gas pipeline, which will bring new investments and jobs to Serbia, just as Germany got the Nord Stream with Russia. Popovic said that Serbia has always respected all investments and donations from EU member countries, but that as prime minister, Kostunica never asked them for help or donations. In his estimate, all EU donations cannot even come close to compensating for at least EUR 30 billion in damages that the Serbian economy suffered as a result of the NATO bombing. The German ambassador in Belgrade said last week that the Serbian public believes that most assistance comes from Russia and Japan, since the facts have not been clearly presented. During Vojislav Kostunica's whole mandate, the Russians did not provide a single dinar, even though Kostunica considered them a possible source of aid, Maas said. Nenad Popovic (FoNet, file) "Brutal distortion" The League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV) stated on Monday that in his letter, Popovic was "brutally distorting the truth" by "attacking Ambassador to Serbia Wolfram Maas of Germany, which is the key EU member". Referring to Popovic as "a spokesperson of Russian Ambassador in Belgrade Aleksandr Konuzin", the LSV statement reads that it was "logical that Russia is represented by the holder of Konuzin's decorations and a man who has business relations with Russia". The LSV underlined that the EU and its members including Germany invested in Serbia without taking away the energy nucleus of the country - NIS, the oil industry of Serbia, "for just a fifth of its real value". Unlike Russia, the EU and its members have granted funds to Serbia, the LSV noted, adding that only Germany allocated over EUR 700 million to Serbia from 2000 to 2011, which is almost twice as much as the amount Russia paid for NIS. The LSV added that the EU and its members are not trying to make a province out of Serbia, or encourage extreme movements in the country, concluding that Russia is Serbia's traditional friend, "but that its current ruling regime seems not to be". Tanjug

German ambassador told that "Russia is Serbia's friend"

Reacting to Maas's statement that Russia "did not give any financial assistance to Serbia" during DSS party leader Vojislav Koštunica's entire term as prime minister, and is "deliberately stalling the realization of a loan approved three years ago", Popović said that the DSS leader had never asked Russia for economic assistance, but for cooperation in the interest of both countries.

According to him, during the mandate of Koštunica's government, Serbia signed an agreement with Russia in the area of oil and gas, on the basis of which Russian company Gazprom has invested over EUR 1 billion in the modernization of Oil Industry of Serbia (NIS) over the past three years.

Popović added that in late 2012 construction will start on the South Stream gas pipeline, which will bring new investments and jobs to Serbia, just as Germany got the Nord Stream with Russia.

Popović said that Serbia has always respected all investments and donations from EU member countries, but that as prime minister, Koštunica never asked them for help or donations.

In his estimate, all EU donations cannot even come close to compensating for at least EUR 30 billion in damages that the Serbian economy suffered as a result of the NATO bombing.

The German ambassador in Belgrade said last week that the Serbian public believes that most assistance comes from Russia and Japan, since the facts have not been clearly presented.

During Vojislav Koštunica's whole mandate, the Russians did not provide a single dinar, even though Koštunica considered them a possible source of aid, Maas said.

"Brutal distortion"

The League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV) stated on Monday that in his letter, Popović was "brutally distorting the truth" by "attacking Ambassador to Serbia Wolfram Maas of Germany, which is the key EU member".

Referring to Popović as "a spokesperson of Russian Ambassador in Belgrade Aleksandr Konuzin", the LSV statement reads that it was "logical that Russia is represented by the holder of Konuzin's decorations and a man who has business relations with Russia".

The LSV underlined that the EU and its members including Germany invested in Serbia without taking away the energy nucleus of the country - NIS, the oil industry of Serbia, "for just a fifth of its real value".

Unlike Russia, the EU and its members have granted funds to Serbia, the LSV noted, adding that only Germany allocated over EUR 700 million to Serbia from 2000 to 2011, which is almost twice as much as the amount Russia paid for NIS.

The LSV added that the EU and its members are not trying to make a province out of Serbia, or encourage extreme movements in the country, concluding that Russia is Serbia's traditional friend, "but that its current ruling regime seems not to be".