EU could block opening of chapters - daily

EU could block opening of chapters - daily

"Technically this could be EU's move in response to opposition from Serbia to join the sanctions on Russia," unnamed diplomatic sources were quoted as saying.

Sources "close to the Serbian government," however, told the paper that "the state leadership is aware that this could be a mechanism for the EU to put pressure on Serbia to impose sanctions on Russia" but added that "the EU understands that this is a really difficult issue for Serbia."

"The EU will certainly not do that, will not delay the opening of chapters," these sources said.

EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy EU Johannes Hahn, who will arrive here on November 20, urged Serbia last week to "support EU sanctions on Russia."

However, Serbia's Minister without Portfolio for EU Integration Jadranka Joksimović spoke for the daily to stress that an alignment with EU's common foreign and security policy should be fully be applied only when Serbia becomes a full member.

"We did not even open the first chapter. As a candidate, we have the right to protect ourselves and our special economic interests, and we're doing it. The EU itself is not always entirely consistent, because member-states have different views on many issues," she said.

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić was meeting with German Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel in Belgrade yesterday and said that he "does not see why anyone would in the EU should be bothered by Serbia having good and developed relations with Russia, if its strategic goal is to join the European Union."

"We are not going to other alliances, the Eurasian or any other... We are going to the European Union and are fulfilling all our obligations," Vučić said.

He pointed out that Angela Merkel "helped Serbia on at least three occasions when we had various serious incidents, with which we were faced."

"She helped us politically and Germany helps us a lot in economic terms. With (Vladimir) Putin have a correct relationship and good cooperation," he said.

"Do not forget that Serbia is an independent and sovereign country - we are not 'little Russia' nor 'little America', nor any other country. We are Serbia and proudly bear our name and it means that we make our own decisions," said Vučić.

However, he added, "the work of the government of Serbia is to preserve the interests of its citizens and it it doing that in the best possible way."

"If Poland in trade with Russia loses 1.5 billion, the EU will compensate 1.1 billion. And who is going to compensate to Serbia?" he asked.

Foreign affairs analyst and former ambassador Predrag Simić spoke for the daily to say that "the current government of Serbia, in this composition, will not impose sanctions on Russia." He noted that the EU could halt the opening of chapters in the accession process.

"It could certainly be a mechanism for the EU to let Serbia know how serious it is," said Simić.

Yesterday, German political weekly magazine Spiegel wrote that "the strategy of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Balkans" had alerted the government in Berlin.

The Moscow-based Kommersant daily reports that Serbian soldiers train on two fronts, and that Serbia's "strange policy of military neutrality is based on open cooperation with both Russia and with NATO."

The daily noted that after the completion of exercises with the Russian troops last week, the Serbian army started, in the south of the country, exercises "with NATO." This paper also said that last week's visit of patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church was regular, "but experts believe it was not without political meaning."