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Serbia not planning to join NATO or other military alliances — ambassador

Serbia is ready to bring to normal relations with Kosovo and Metohija, but would not recognize their independence, Serbia’s Ambassador to Russia Slavenko Terzic also said

© AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic

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MOSCOW, February 12. /TASS/. The issue on Serbia’s joining the North-Atlantic Alliance is not on the agenda, the country’s ambassador to Russia, Slavenko Terzic, said on Friday.

"Serbia is not going to join NATO," Terzic said. "This issue is not discussed in Belgrade."

The diplomat also stressed that Serbia is not planning to join any other military alliances.

Serbia's relations with Kosovo

Serbia is ready to bring to normal relations with Kosovo and Metohija, but would not recognize their independence, Serbia’s envoy also said.

"The EU say Serbia should sign an agreement with Kosovo and Metohija," the diplomat said in response to the question about conditions from EU for Serbia’s joining the Union. "We are ready to bring to normal relations with a part of Serbian territory - Kosovo and Metohija, but we are not ready to recognize independence of those regions."

"The Serbian government is ready for negotiations with those regions," the ambassador said. "We are ready to offer to Kosovo and Metohija the highest level of autonomy. Not more, though."

Kosovo and Metohija, he continued, "are parts of historical Serbia, the cultural and spiritual heritage of which suffered most from Albania’s extremists and which is on the edge of complete destruction.".

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