Vucic: Those who can’t do anything to Russia are trying to get even in Serbia
Serbia was strongly dissuaded from canceling the visit to Belgrade of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated this in an official comment.
“You cannot understand how many countless negotiations took place in which Serbia was asked to refuse hospitality to the Russian Foreign Minister,” Vucic said.
According to him, there are countries that cannot do anything against Russia, so they are trying to take revenge on this Balkan state.
" The hysteria of the last 24 hours over Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's announced visit to Serbia has revealed what some people really want. Since they can't do or say anything to Russia, they're trying to harm it at Serbia's expense," the president said.
He clarified that we are not talking about Americans or other large states, but about “certain minorities.”
Commenting on Lavrov’s words that Serbia is ready to host him and that he considers such a policy a bold step, Vucic replied that he considers this not his personal courage, but a rational, sensible, calming way in Europe, where it is not easy to hear a voice today reason and desire for dialogue.
The Serbian leader also noted that his country is suffering colossal losses only because of the sanctions imposed on Russian oil.
“$600 million was taken directly from the pockets of Serbian citizens as part of the sanctions on an annualized basis, and people need to know that,” Vucic said.
In turn, the head of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Alexander Vulin, said today that “those who prevented the arrival” of Lavrov in Belgrade “do not want peace and dream of Russia’s defeat.”
“I deeply regret the cancellation of the visit of Serbia’s great and trusted friend, Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov. A world where diplomats cannot seek peace is a world where there is no peace. Those who prevented the arrival of Sergei Lavrov do not want peace, they dream of Russia’s defeat,” Vulin said.
At the same time, Prime Minister of Montenegro Dritan Abazovic said that there should not be a big drama due to the situation with the ban on the flight of the head of Russian diplomacy.
“As long as such decisions are in effect, Montenegro stands on the side of its partners and the policy that is defined in relation to the EU, and we act like others who have imposed sanctions against Russia. I wouldn’t make a drama out of it, that someone is protesting, this situation is quite clear,” Abazovich said.
Earlier, Lavrov called the West’s position of depriving Serbia of choosing its partners cynical.
“Now this principle [freedom of choice of partners], which the West raised to the forefront, has been trampled upon by the West itself. Serbia, from the Western point of view, should have no choice, no freedom to choose partners,” Lavrov said, commenting on the refusal of a number of NATO countries to allow his plane to Serbia.
English version :: Read in English Vučić: Those who can't do anything to Russia are trying to take revenge on Serbia