Nikolic: Serbia should not choose sides

BELGRADE - Serbia should not take sides and I would like the country to pursue the policy similar to the one carried out by Josip Broz Tito, but it should also align its policy with that of the EU, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic has said.

In a live broadcast on Radio-Television of Serbia (RTS) on Monday evening, Nikolic noted that he has been accused of hindering Serbia's EU pathway because he invited President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko to visit Serbia.

Nikolic noted that, during the election campaign and upon taking office, he clearly stated that he wants Serbia to join the EU.

Lukashenko's forthcoming visit has been considered since November last year, he explained, adding that he discussed the matter with Brussels.

According to Nikolic, EU High Representative Catherine Ashton said that the visit should not take place in December before the beginning of Serbia's EU talks, and asked for it not to happen in February, so it was arranged in March.

Nikolic underscored that when the severe floods hit Serbia, Lukashenko offered assistance straight away, and he is the third president to visit Serbia after the natural disaster.

Serbia will not impose sanctions on Belarus, it should rather align its foreign policy with that of the EU, he underlined.

He said that a number of economic agreements will be signed during Lukashenko's visit, noting that a large number of Belarus buses are manufactured in Kragujevac, while the country has also expressed interest in Prva Petoletka, Serbia's manufacturer of hydraulic and pneumatic systems.

“Some reporters may not be interested in the fact that Belarus has not recognized the unilateral independence of Kosovo-Metohija, but I am very much...