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Serbian politicians on visit to Crimea are ready to tolerate Ukrainian sanctions

"If it (Ukraine’s sanctions) means that we are friends of Russia, we are going to be extremely happy," the Dveri (Doors) non-parliamentary opposition patriotic movement president says
Serbian MPs at Crimea's State Council Alexei Pavlishak/TASS
Serbian MPs at Crimea's State Council
© Alexei Pavlishak/TASS

SIMFEROPOL, October 27 /TASS/. Members of the Democratic Party of Serbia and the Dveri (Doors) non-parliamentary opposition patriotic movement who are currently visiting Crimea told TASS on Tuesday that they were not afraid of sanctions, which Ukraine might impose on them in retaliation for their visit.

"We believe that (Ukraine) is unlikely to impose any sanctions against our (Serbian) state. But the sanctions can be imposed against members of our delegation. Perhaps, we will be banned access to the Ukrainian embassy. We may be announced persona non grata in Ukraine. But it does not matter for us. It is important that we are going to develop relations with Russia," Sandra Raskovic Ivic, the leader of the Democratic Party of Serbia who is leading the eight-member Serbian delegation to Crimea, told TASS.

She confirmed receiving a protest note from Ukrainian Ambassador to Serbia Oleg Aleksandrovich in connection with the visit to Ukraine. Ukraine also sent a protest note to Bosko Obradovic, the Dveri (Doors) movement president. In the letters, the Ukrainian ambassador to Serbia said that the Serbian politicians’ visit to Crimea contradicted the official stance of Kiev and the Serbian authorities. He also warned about measures, which could be imposed on the politicians.

"If it (Ukraine’s sanctions) means that we are friends of Russia, we are going to be extremely happy," Obradovic said commenting on Ukraine’s possible sanctions.

The Serbian deputies and public figures have already met the local authorities in Yalta. The delegation’s members visited Crimea’s parliament and talked to the deputies. Meetings with Oleg Belaventsev, the Russian president’s authorized representative in the Crimean Federal District; Crimea’s Head Sergei Aksyonov and Vladimir Konstantinov, speaker of Crimea’s State Council (parliament), will take place later in the day.