MOSCOW, December 3. /TASS/. Serbia during its chairmanship in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) next year will have to face many complex issues, but objectivity will prevail in its approaches to all matters, Serbian Ambassador to Russia Slavenko Terzic told TASS on Wednesday.
According to him, Serbia’s position will be characterised by objectivity of approaches to all issues. “We will respect arguments of all the sides and settle all questions exclusively by peaceful means and by way of dialogue,” Terzic said. “Serbia has good relations with both the European Union and Russia and this will promote the settlement of many issues,” he added.
The diplomat also said during its OSCE chairmanship-in-office Serbia would face many complicated tasks.
{history:5542:'Read also':'right':'50'}Serbia wants to be reliable partner to Moscow, Kiev, Brussels and Washington
Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic in November said Serbia will try to be a reliable partner to any center of political power - be it Moscow, Kiev, Brussels or Washington.
“I hope that Serbia will not find itself in a situation when it will have to choose between Brussels and Moscow,” Dacic said adding that as an EU candidate Serbia has a commitment to coordinate its foreign and security policy with the European Union until the negotiations are over.
Sanctions against Russia are the only foreign policy issue which Serbia has refused to coordinate with the European Union so far.
EU wants Serbia to impose sanctions on Russia
EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn in November said Serbia should bring its foreign political position in line with the European stance by imposing anti-Russian economic sanctions.
Both Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said that Serbia would not impose sanctions on Russia despite its goal to join the European Union. Nikolic, however, admitted that the EU membership which Serbia was seeking implies an obligation to pursue a common foreign policy.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alexander Lukashevich said Moscow hopes that Serbia will remember the friendly nature of relations with Russia when it makes a decision whether it should join the EU sanctions against Russia.