The announcement from Moscow concerning Serbia

The announcement from Moscow concerning Serbia

That message from Moscow comes after the recent criticism of Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Zorana Mihajlovic against Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Just to recall, after the conversation between the Serbian Minister of the Interior Aleksandar Vulin and Lavrov in Moscow, Mihajlovic recently stated:

"With his statements, Lavrov is abusing the fact that Serbia has not imposed sanctions on Russia, trying to show that our country supports Russia's attack on Ukraine, even though Serbia has clearly decided against that conflict by voting for the UN resolution condemning the war."

Lavrov then, at the meeting with Vulin, said that Belgrade and Moscow are consistently committed to the principles of indivisibility and the equal nature of security for all countries - both in the "Balkans and in the situation in Ukraine provoked by the West".

Today's press release from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs states: "The assessments and statements of Russian officials do not give anyone a reason to accuse us of insinuations, attempts to 'abuse' traditionally friendly relations with Serbia, which are steadily built on equality, respect and mutual understanding."

Regarding the statement of the Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, the Ministry says that "it is obvious that Mihajlović is poorly oriented in reality when it comes to the relations between the two countries".

Russia and Serbia fully understand each other when it comes to current international issues. In contacts with partners, we openly present our views on the situation in Ukraine in the context of a special military operation. We respect Belgrade's aspiration to conduct a balanced and, most importantly, independent policy in these complex conditions," they said in Moscow.

Such a balanced attitude is reflected in the restrained attitude of the Serbian leadership towards the sanctions policy of the West and the principled absence of will to participate in such a policy to the detriment of its own interests.

"Of course, it is a sovereign choice that the West cannot accept and, unlike us, they are trying to put pressure on the Serbs," the statement concludes, as reported by Sputnik.