The warning came after a senior Serbian government official met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin described his country as an “ally of Russia” when he met with Putin on Wednesday on the sidelines of an economic forum in Vladivostok.
“Maintaining or even strengthening relations with Russia during its illegal aggression against the people of Ukraine is not compatible with EU values and the EU accession process,” said EU representative Peter Stano.
in 2012 Serbia was granted the status of an EU candidate country and since then this country has been waiting to join the Community.
During the accession process, the countries undertake to harmonize their foreign policy with the EU’s foreign policy, P. Stano noted.
“So we hope that Serbia will refrain from strengthening ties and contacts with Russia,” he said at a press conference in Brussels.
Serbia and Russia have historically close ties. Serbia is almost entirely dependent on Russian gas.
She condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations, but refused to impose sanctions on the Kremlin.
Serbia “will never become a member of NATO, will not impose sanctions on the Russian Federation and will not allow anti-Russian actions to be carried out from its territory,” said A. Vulin, quoted by Russian TV.
2024-09-05 20:43:33