Dacic: Serbia does not intend to become member of NATO

BELGRADE - Serbia does not intend to join NATO but it wants to establish a partnership with it, as it is surrounded by NATO members, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said Tuesday.

"We need to be aware that we cannot change the past, but we must see to it that we protect our national and state interests the best we can at this point," Dacic said for the Sputnik website Serbian language version (rs.sputniknews.com).

"That is why Serbia pursues a balanced foreign policy," the Serbian foreign minister said concerning the recent signing of the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) with NATO.

Dacic said that Serbia's relationship with NATO and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) was not just a military-related but also a political issue. "We have a status in NATO within the Partnership for Peace program for that reason," he said.

Dacic said that the Serbian position was sustainable, pointing out that Serbia, or the former Yugoslavia, had always been neutral.

The Serbian foreign minister said that Serbia was trying to pursue a policy that includes joining the European Union and fostering good relations with Russia.

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