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Russia, Serbia are objects of overt pressure - Lavrov

Russia’s foreign minister was in Serbia on a two-day working visit on February 21-22

© Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

MOSCOW, February 24. /TASS/. Moscow and Belgrade are the objects of the West’s overt pressure, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with the Rossiya 1 television channel on Saturday.

"This country, like Serbia, becomes an object of overt pressure," the foreign minister said referring to what his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic had said about the West’s attempts to make use of Belgrade’s interest in the European integration to "make Serbia follow an anti-Russian position."

"By the way, not many in Europe are able to use the simple language to express attitudes to what is going on," Lavrov said.

The minister spoke about how warmly the Serbians welcomed him during the recent visit. "Crowds of people, who came to the Russian embassy in Belgrade, those who in the snow and rain participated in the ceremony of laying wreaths to the memorial, devoted to Belgrade’s liberators - nobody made them come, that was their own choice," he said. "These are the relations we have, as we love our countries, and the Serbians love Russia, and Russians love Serbia."

Russia’s foreign minister was in Serbia on a two-day working visit on February 21-22. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received him on Wednesday. Lavrov held a meeting with Serbia’s Prime Minister Ana Brnabic on Thursday.

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