President: We would lose friends by taking sides

(Tanjug, file)

President: We would lose friends by taking sides

BELGRADE -- Tomislav Nikolić says he wishes to see an end to hostilities in Ukraine, "not only because of Serbia's specific position - but for the sake of people there."

"If they reach an agreement, it will be for the good of the people. If not, then it will be bad for the people, people in eastern Ukraine will suffer, it's obvious. I had a chance how people suffer on the example of the former Yugoslavia and what it's like when big (powers) get involved and start deciding alone on someone's fate."

In an interview on Wednesday for the Tanjug news agency ahead going on his summer vacation, the president said he was convinced that Serbia, when it comes to the Ukrainian crisis, must continue to insist on international law and justice, "which clearly means that Serbia recognizes Ukraine within the borders it has as a UN member - and seek the same for itself."

"If Serbia determined its position based on whom it likes, who knows how it would behave in any, including this crisis, but Serbia determines its position based on international law and according to its own interests, and our interest is not to one day lose Russia as our protector in the UN Security Council, but our interest is also not to be in dispute with the EU," Nikolić said.

Adding that "pressures probably exist," the president said he "personally was not told a single word" to that effect by anyone, and was not aware that others were coming under pressure over Serbia's policy. Nikolić stated that "in this situation everyone should have in front of them the fate of Serbia, its Constitution, and primarily their spoken words and the wishes of citizens of Serbia."

And these wishes, the president...

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