MOSCOW, March 18./TASS/. Russia wants to see Serbia a stable and steadily developing state and expects that its leadership will exert every effort to settle the situation with protests that took place in Belgrade last week, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday.
"Of course, we want to see Serbia a stable and dynamically developing nation," Peskov said, adding that Russia is ready to contribute to this in every possible way within the framework of bilateral relations, as the two states enjoy long-standing partnership relations.
At the same time, he stressed that protests in Serbia are an internal affair of the country. "We are confident that the Serbian leadership will do everything to settle the situation," the spokesman added.
Over the past four months, Serbia has been seeing peaceful rallies of the opposition. However, after a next anti-government rally ended on March 16, a small group of protesters led by opposition leader Bosko Obradovic broke into the state TV headquarters in Belgrade. Another opposition leader, former Mayor of Belgrade Dragan Djilas, also arrived to the site. Protesters tried to stage a rally in front of the building, but people began to disperse.
Obradovic, leader of the Serbian Movement Dveri, urged his supporters to flock to the residence of the president on the next day, and protests continued there on March 17. President Aleksandar Vucic made a televised address to the nation on Sunday.
All those who took part in Saturday’s protests in Belgrade will bear responsibility, President Vucic said in his address. "End to violence! Everyone taking part in this violence will be brought to justice," Vucic said. "The state won’t allow violence. If anyone thinks political goals can be achieved through violence, they are mistaken," he noted.
The Serbian president labeled the protest leaders as fascists and oligarchs, who seek to regain power in order to rob the country. "I’m their target as I seek Serbia’s political consolidation and economic development."
Later, protesters marched to the city’s main police station, where a bit later Obradovic disbanded them, vowing that rallies would be continued unless the authorities released the detained protesters before 15:00 local time (17:00 Moscow time) on Monday.