euractiv.com <https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/serbia-fm-hints-at-possible-russia-sanctions/>
Serbian FM hints at possible Russia sanctions Tamara Milošević Grbić, Zoran Radosavljevic ~3 minutes _____ Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić hinted for the first time on Wednesday that Belgrade might change course and impose sanctions on Russia, one of the key EU demands for Serbia to progress in its EU membership talks. In an exclusive interview with EURACTIV Serbia, Dačić, a veteran with more than 30 years in high-level politics, said Serbia, an EU candidate since 2012, was guided primarily by assessing what is in its best interests. “We condemn the violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and that is how we voted in international bodies. Whether we will impose sanctions on Russia is another matter. It is not a matter of time or deadlines, it’s a matter that concerns our political and economic interests,” he told EURACTIV Serbia <https://euractiv.mondo.rs/politika/a274/Ivica-Dacic-o-EU-Kosovu-i-Rusiji.html> . Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has vehemently opposed <https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/vucic-france-germany-use-investments-to-pressure-serbias-eu-path/> sanctioning Moscow for its offensive in Ukraine, often stressing that Serbia imports all of its oil and gas from Russia, but has come under growing pressure from the West to change his stance. In October, he <https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/serbias-vucic-lays-out-e12bn-energy-investment-plan-after-oil-ban/> unveiled a €12 billion plan for investments in energy infrastructure over six years to diversify and secure energy supply. Dacic said that since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 up to now, Serbia did not join the Western sanctions “because we estimated that it would not be in our interest”. “If something changes to the detriment of Serbia’s interests, then our decision will be adjusted accordingly because we shall assess at every moment what is the best decision for our economy, for our standing in the world, and for the citizens of Serbia.” In another sign that the narrative about Russia, seen as Serbia’s traditional ally, may be shifting, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, who attended the launch event of EURACTIV Serbia in Belgrade on Wednesday evening, spoke of the “Russian aggression against Ukraine”, a wording Serbia previously did not use. She also praised the EU as the biggest investor and donor in Serbia. Dačić proclaimed EU membership <https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/vucic-calls-ep-resolution-on-aligning-foreign-policy-hypocritical/> to be “a priority for Serbia” but he also took a swipe at the EU for dragging its feet on enlargement. “That narrative that we often hear, that the Balkans could create new problems if it were inside the EU, is more of a pretext because the EU has seen a decrease in the appetite for enlargement.” “That is an issue that does not bring votes to European politicians and that’s why they marginalise it.” (Tamara Milošević Grbić EURACTIV.rs, Zoran Radosavljevic EURACTIV.com) -- http:www.antic.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SERBIAN NEWS NETWORK" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/senet/096201d93173%2469d5ce40%243d816ac0%24%40gmail.com.
