Serbian minister in Moscow: Russians are our brothers

Serbian minister in Moscow: Russians are our brothers

As reported by Itar-Tass, Gašić, thanking his Russian counterpart, said:

"Thank you for respecting our position regarding the Ukrainian crisis. We call for a peaceful solution to any armed conflict, including the one in Ukraine. We are not considering introducing any kind of sanctions against our brothers."

Shoigu said that the sanctions might also "bring some benefit to Russia."

"When it comes to Russia, they will give us impetus, and I believe they will eventually do us good," said the high ranking Russian official.

He added that much pf the food for the Russian military is produced in the country, while the production of food for other purposes will be launched in Russia over the next few years, Itar-Tass reported.

"We have everything we need, including the expertise, resources and, most importantly, the willingness," said Shoigu.

The Russian minister commended the development of military and military-technical cooperation between Russia and Serbia, which has been stepped up after the presidents of the two countries in 2013 signed a declaration on strategic partnership.

"Bilateral cooperation has become more practical, better oriented and dynamic," said Shoigu.

As reported by the Russian news agency, Gašić cited 2014 as "the culmination in the history of military cooperation between the two countries," saying that this year has seen "more military exercises and other events than ever before."

The defense ministers agreed in Moscow on Friday that the two countries' cooperation in the field of defense was on the rise and should be enhanced in the field of joint training and exercises of the armed forces.

According to them, the results accompany the excellent political and economic relations between Russia and Serbia, as confirmed by numerous mutual visits in the past, but also those planned for the future.

They agreed that, for achieving interoperability and functional capabilities of the armed forces, it is necessary to improve cooperation in the domain of joint training and exercises.

Gašić and Shoigu stressed it was "important to work to preserve peace and security in the world, and share the experience gained by engaging in multinational operations."

Gašić expressed his gratitude for the understanding shown by Russian officials when it comes to Serbia's stance regarding the crisis in Ukraine, and for Russia's support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia, as well as efforts to resolve the issue of Kosovo and Metohija peacefully.

Gašić said that Serbia as a militarily neutral country, despite the fact that membership in the European Union is one of its key foreign policy objectives, seeks to develop a balanced bilateral level of cooperation with all countries and international actors in the world, in accordance with common interests.

He once again thanked the Russian Federation for the help during the May floods in Serbia, adding that "climate change on the global level has shown it is necessary to better connect in assisting in elimination of the consequences of natural disasters."

The delegation of the Serbian Ministry of Defense and the Serbian Army will on Saturday, the second day of their official visit, attend the closing ceremony of the international competition "Tank Biathlon 2014." Members of armed forces from 12 countries, including Serbia, are taking part in the competition.