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Russia, Serbia may sign declaration of strategic partnership

“There is only one difference between Russia and other European investors: we have the desire and the money to invest in Serbia,” Rogozin said

BELGRADE, November 28 (Itar-Tass) —— Russia and Serbia may sign a declaration of strategic partnership shortly, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said after talks with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic on Wednesday, November 28.

“We hope that a declaration of strategic partnership between Russia and Serbia will be signed soon,” he said. This will allow Russia to understand that there are no limits in military-technical relations with Serbia and military-technical cooperation will be “as deep as the technological level of Serbia’s defence industry allows”.

Rogozin believes that the most important objective now is to restore full cooperation between the two countries in all areas and on real projects that are underway now such as South Stream and the modernisation of Naftna Industrija Srbije's (NIS) Pancevo refinery.

“There is only one difference between Russia and other European investors: we have the desire and the money to invest in Serbia,” Rogozin said,

He noted that there is no contradiction in Serbia’s having close relations with the European Union while developing partnership with Russia.

More than half of Russia’s trade is geared to the European Union which is its strategic partner. “So Serbia will harmoniously develop relations with both Brussels and Moscow,” he said.

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