Serbia "not Russian, not anybody else's puppet" - PM

Serbia "not Russian, not anybody else's puppet" - PM

DAVOS -- Aleksandar Vucic says it is possible to foster friendly relations with Russia and be a member of the EU at the same time, and that Serbia is "nobody's puppet."

"Serbia is not Russia's or anyone else's puppet," the prime minister told the Swiss tabloid Blick, adding that he "said in Russian President Vladimir Putin's presence that Serbia wished to join the EU."

Vucic stressed Serbia is "close to Russia,"but its goal was to be part of the EU, and that he "hoped and was doing everything to make that happen in 2019."

"Serbia has no doubt that it is possible to have friendly relations with Russia and be a member of the EU at the same time, and the EU knows well that it can benefit from it," he noted.

When asked what Serbia could offer, seeing as it had taken over the OSCE chairmanship, Vucic replied that it could help the west, but that it wished to remain neutral.

Serbia has definitely profited from Switzerland's excellent work as well, he remarked.

Commenting on the fact that the OSCE has to address the fierce conflict in Ukraine and talking about ways to suppress the violence, he stated that the conflict was bad for Russia, Ukraine and the entire Europe, but added that Serbia was a small country, and that Europe had to do more for peace.

When asked "how Serbia could remain neutral when it had close relations with Russia," he responded that the relations with Russia were rooted in history and that the fact could only be beneficial to the EU in seeking a peaceful solution.

Someone else will make the decisions afterwards, he pointed out, adding the economic and legal reforms should be completed by then.

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