"Serbia won't falter" and join anti-Russia sanctions

"Serbia won't falter" and join anti-Russia sanctions

A Defense Ministry statement quoted Gasic as saying that Serbia is striving toward conducting an independent foreign policy that should protect the interests of the Serbian people.

Gasic made these statements as he was presenting a decoration to Colonel Valery Volkov, who is leaving his post as Russia's military envoy to Serbia. The commemorative medal was given for Volkov's "exceptional contribution to the defense system and improvement of military cooperation that in the past period reached the level of the two countries' political relations."

The ceremony was attended by Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Chepurin.

Gasic especially thanked the Russian representatives for the support their country gave to Serbia in the effort to prevent Kosovo from joining UNESCO, and for standing in favor of preserving Serbia's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The Beta news agency reported that "the need was stressed to solve all open issues by diplomatic means, fully respecting international law, something that Serbia will continue to strongly insist on during the OSCE chairmanship."