Russia thanks Serbia for participation in Sochi Olympics

BELGRADE - The Russian national holiday, the Defender of the Fatherland Day, was marked with a reception in Belgrade on Thursday evening, in the presence of Serbia's top state and military officials, politicians, diplomats, church dignitaries and sportspeople.

Addressing the present, Russian Ambassador Alexander Chepurin thanked Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and his wife Dragica for coming and attending the opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympics "at the peak of the anti-Russian hysteria".

This has been appreciated in Russia very much, the Russian ambassador said.

Chepurin also thanked Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, who was not at the reception, for coming to the closing ceremony of the Games, as well as the present Chairman of the Serbian Olympic Committee Vlade Divac for Serbia's dignified participation in the spirit of the sport.

Chepurin also greeted Serbian Patriarch Irinej.

Speaking about the holiday, the Russian ambassador noted that the situation in Ukraine best illustrates "how peace is fragile", and that small moves can have major and dramatic consequences, and that Ukraine as a European country should not be constantly provoked with either Western Europe or Russia.

That is like separating conjoined twins. We need to try and build a joint future for Europe from Lisbon to Vladivostok, Chepurin said.

He also noted that the Olympics in Sochi showed that Russia is a modern and open country which no one should be afraid of.

Chepurin stressed that this year Serbia and Russia will proudly mark the centenary of the beginning of World War I and the liberation of Belgrade in World War II.

The reception brought together Defense Minister Nebojsa Rodic, Head of...