"Serbian initiative has good chance"

Russia's ambassador to the UN says that Serbia's ICJ initiative has a good chance of being adopted at the UN General Assembly, and that Russia will back it. “The declaration has a good chance of being adopted, but I really do not want to speculate as to which countries will vote or how they will vote,“ Vladimir Chizov said in an interview with the Saturday edition of Belgrade daily Vecernje Novosti. "Serbian initiative has good chance" Chizov said that Russia would back Serbia’s initiative to seek the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legality of Kosovo's unilateral independence declaration at the UN General Assembly, but added, however, that he was not in a position to speculate on the views of EU member-states on the issue. Asked whether the sale price of the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS) could cause a problem in implementing the Serbian-Russian gas arrangement, Chizov answered that he did not envisage any serious problems between the two countries. “I believe that this contract complements both economies—the Serbian and Russian. The same applies to economic relations between the EU and Russia. We live in a very inter-dependent world. That’s why it is not a matter of a game without results, as some might interpret it,“ said the ambassador. Speaking of relations between the two countries, he said that “EU expansion is an objective process that is part of the globalization process“ and that Russia respects Serbia’s wish to enhance relations with the EU and become a member. “As regards the conditions the EU’s setting Serbia—yes, they exist. We’ve seen a lot of conditions for your country. Nevertheless, I’d sooner call them prerequisites because they surfaced even before Belgrade opened EU integration talks. And, obviously many of them have been politicized,“ said the ambassador, stating that the issue of Serbian cooperation with the Hague was one of those prerequisites.

"Serbian initiative has good chance"

Chizov said that Russia would back Serbia’s initiative to seek the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legality of Kosovo's unilateral independence declaration at the UN General Assembly, but added, however, that he was not in a position to speculate on the views of EU member-states on the issue.

Asked whether the sale price of the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS) could cause a problem in implementing the Serbian-Russian gas arrangement, Chizov answered that he did not envisage any serious problems between the two countries.

“I believe that this contract complements both economies—the Serbian and Russian. The same applies to economic relations between the EU and Russia. We live in a very inter-dependent world. That’s why it is not a matter of a game without results, as some might interpret it,“ said the ambassador.

Speaking of relations between the two countries, he said that “EU expansion is an objective process that is part of the globalization process“ and that Russia respects Serbia’s wish to enhance relations with the EU and become a member.

“As regards the conditions the EU’s setting Serbia—yes, they exist. We’ve seen a lot of conditions for your country. Nevertheless, I’d sooner call them prerequisites because they surfaced even before Belgrade opened EU integration talks. And, obviously many of them have been politicized,“ said the ambassador, stating that the issue of Serbian cooperation with the Hague was one of those prerequisites.