Serbia will remain militarily neutral and continue to seek EU membership, Vučić said, noting that Belgrade is guided by its own interests and will not “extinguish its friendship” with other partners under pressure
Serbia's strategic path is directed to the European Union, but the country will not, under pressure and contrary to its own interests, change its attitude towards partners in the East, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said during his address to the nation. The entry was published on the YouTube channel of the President of Serbia.
“Serbia will not trample on and extinguish its friendship that it has in the East, and it does not occur to us to do this. And I'm not interested in what force is exerting pressure, only the strength of Serbian interests can change our attitude, — explained Vucic.
He also indicated that there had been corresponding pressure in recent “weeks and months”. “Our strategic path” way to Europe, and if we can't understand that, then tell me what's the alternative,— President added.
Vučić also said that “there is no love in international relations, justice, I'm afraid to say, even less, and we must take care of our interests and the future,” the country's state television channel RTS reported. The President noted that Serbia is a militarily neutral country and intends to maintain this status, reforms will be carried out in order to “fight for a place in the family of European peoples.”
According to Ipsos Strategic, 35% of Serbs support joining the European Union, while 44% oppose it, Vučić said, noting that he understands the unpopularity of this step. “Our job is not to please public opinion, but to hear it and do what is best for the state of Serbia. My message to everyone: Serbia will be stronger on the European path, despite all these numbers,— he explained.
Read on RBC Pro Pro Who will take over the warehouse space emptied due to sanctions and the departure of players Pro Forecasts How new technologies “stole” the charisma of Starbucks . Investor's Digest Articles Pro Dangerous language: what words an employer can be fined for Instructions Pro How to register an employee remotely Instructions Pro How national characteristics affect the management model – 6 indicators Articles Pro How an accountant created India's largest bank for the poor at a cost of $ 6 billion Articles < p>At the end of February, the Serbian authorities refused to join the sanctions against Russia. Vucic then explained that official Belgrade supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine, but the introduction of restrictive measures against any country is not in the interests of Serbia. In mid-March, the Serbian president said that external pressure was the reason for reducing the number of flights to Russia to one per day.
At the end of the same month, he admitted that the European Union could impose sanctions against Serbia for refusing to join anti-Russian restrictive measures . “What do you want from Serbia? Impose sanctions against Russia? And why didn't you introduce gas and oil?»— he noted.
For Vučić, if he chose to join the sanctions, it would make him “number one in the world” and the media would call him “the greatest democrat.” “It costs us dearly that we have not imposed sanctions. More than you think. And if we introduced them, then it would cost us our principle, because we know that it is immoral and does not bring results, — he said in mid-April.
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