"And then you wonder why we Serbs choose Russians"

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Friday the US Trump administration has "changed a little its stance on the Kosovo problem."

Dacic added that there is "still lobbing in favor of Kosovo's membership in international organizations" - something Serbia is fiercely opposed to.

Kosovo is the country's southern province where ethnic Albanians unilaterally declared independence in 2008 - recognized by the US and other leading Western countries, but rejected by Serbia as a violation of its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

On Friday in Belgrade, Dacic held a joint news conference with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov - whose country, along with China, is a permanent UN Security Council member that supports Serbia's stance on Kosovo.

According to Dacic, a cocktail party has been scheduled for this coming Tuesday in New York City - and it is themed, "Why Kosovo should join Interpol."

"The first to address the gathering will be (outgoing US ambassador to the UN) Nikki Haley - and then somebody's asking us - 'why are you going with Russia?' Well who are we supposed to go with? We're going with our friends," Dacic has been quoted as saying.

He also criticized those Western countries that are lobbying for Kosovo becoming an Interpol member, while at the same time not approving visa liberalization to Pristina.

"As far as we're concerned Kosovo cannot join Interpol - but you're free to give them visa liberalization. Let them all go there," Dacic said.

First trip to brotherly Serbia

Ivica Dacic and Yury Borisov on Friday discussed preparations for Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to Serbia, TASS reported earlier in the day.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Belgrade after a meeting of an intergovernmental committee on trade and economic and scientific and technical cooperation,...

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