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Serbian leader rejects European Council president's call to condemn Russia

Aleksandar Vucic emphasized that his duty was to serve the people of Serbia and he was not obliged to obey anyone

BELGRADE, May 13. /TASS/. Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic has rejected European Council President Antonio Costa’s call to condemn Russia, citing a duty to do the right thing for his country, not the EC.

"I am not obliged to obey anyone. My duty is to serve the people of Serbia. This is what I will always do. I always speak my mind. I announced plans to visit Moscow, and I never lied. Naturally, we celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Victory over Nazism. We also discussed the gas contract. Serbia continues to pursue a European path but sometimes, its president can rebel. However, even amid this rebelliousness, I have never put Serbia’s European path into question," the Serbian leader pointed out following a meeting with Costa.

During the meeting, the European Council chief urged Belgrade to work together with the European Union "to overcome its history" and fully back the EU’s foreign policy, condemning Russia and supporting Ukraine, as well as normalizing relations with Kosovo, steps which he said were necessary for Serbia’s ongoing EU accession process.

Earlier, Russian Ambassador to Belgrade Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko stated that the European Union’s threats against Belgrade over Vucic’s visit to Moscow to attend the Victory Day parade were an affront to the country’s sovereignty. The Serbian leader, in turn, has repeatedly stressed that his visit to Moscow and talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin would in no way harm Belgrade, while as for himself, he was ready to take any "punishment" from the European Union. Vucic also noted that he knew EU officials would not be happy with him but that he was determined to stand up for himself and answer any potential grievances.

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