Serbia reaffirms its stance on not imposing sanctions on Russia
Date
8/18/2024 8:06:15 AM
(MENAFN) Serbia has reaffirmed its stance of not imposing sanctions on Russia, even in the face of significant pressure from the European Union. Nenad Popovich, the Serbian Minister responsible for international economic cooperation, stated unequivocally that Serbia will not adhere to Brussels' demands for economic restrictions against Moscow. Popovich's remarks come amid ongoing discussions about Serbia's European Union accession, with Brussels insisting that alignment with the European Union's policies towards Russia is a prerequisite for membership.
Since the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Serbia has maintained its support for Ukraine's territorial integrity while refusing to impose sanctions on Russia. This position is rooted in the historically close ties between Serbia and Russia, two Slavic nations with deep cultural and political connections.
In an interview with Russia's Vedomosti published on Thursday, Popovich elaborated on Serbia's foreign policy strategy, which he described as multi-vector, involving cooperation with Europe, Asia, and the Islamic world. Despite this, he emphasized that European Union membership remains a key objective for Serbia, given its geographical location surrounded by European Union member and candidate states.
Popovich criticized the European Union for its differential treatment of Serbia compared to other candidate countries, particularly regarding the sanctioning of Russia. He deemed the European Union's conditions as "utterly unacceptable" and stressed that no amount of pressure would alter Serbia's position. According to recent polls, a significant majority of the Serbian population—potentially as high as 90 percent—opposes sanctions against Russia, reinforcing the government's stance.
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