"Serbia can't impose sanctions on big countries"

"Serbia can't impose sanctions on big countries"

Dačić reiterated once more that Serbia supports Ukraine's territorial integrity and a peaceful solution to the crisis in Ukraine.

Serbian officials said earlier that they will not introduce sanctions for Russia, and the foreign minister said on Friday that Serbia cannot introduce sanctions against countries bigger and more powerful than itself.

“We believe that only dialogue can produce a lasting solution to the crisis in Ukraine,” Dačić said and added that "Serbia must not participate in this war, although this seems to be someone's goal."

He underscored that on one hand, Serbia maintains good relations with Russia but on the other, it does not need conflicts with the West.

”When EU officials tell me that Serbia needs to assume an explicit stand on Ukraine, I tell them to read their own statements about Israel and Gaza,” Dačić said.

He noted that Serbia, as a would-be EU member, is about to tackle the process of adjustments to the EU foreign and security policies.

”We have the obligation but we also need to bear in mind our national interests,” Dačić said.

He stressed that Serbia on one hand has good relations with Russia, but on the other "does not need a conflict with the west because it cannot win."

"We could consider giving up on South Stream, if we had some alternative. But, I have not heard of any alternatives," he said, and added:

"Every decision must be made, but all in good time," said Dačić, and reiterated that "pressure exerted on Serbia would now be big" when it comes to the Ukraine crisis.

"Major breakthrough"

Addressing the same news conference, Dačić said that in the first 100 days of the new government, Serbia has made a major breakthrough in foreign policy.

“The international position of our country is much better now than it was before. A major breakthrough has been achieved in this area,” Dačić told a regular monthly press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Commenting on the government’s work, he said that his ministry had been fully engaged in meeting foreign policy priorities - the country’s membership of the EU, strengthening cooperation with neighbors, and preserving territorial integrity.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has prepared a report on its work and it will be presented to everyone on Sunday,” the foreign minister said.

He said that Serbia was not “a topic for various types of ultimatums and pressures.”

“We have managed to present ourselves as a serious political player on the international political scene - in Moscow, in Paris, in Berlin,” Dačić said.

Commenting on Serbia’s taking over the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) next year, Dačić said that the country would face a “difficult job” that was "a big test of maturity.”

“It will take Serbia much political wisdom to do its job in the right way to keep the OSCE functioning,” he said.

Dačić announced a ministerial conference where Serbia will take over the OSCE chairmanship from Switzerland taking place in Basel at the beginning of December, and the first session of the OSCE Permanent Council with Serbia as chair being held in Vienna on January 14.