MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/. The United States and the European Union are putting unprecedented pressure on Serbia to force Belgrade to reduce its ties with Russia, the Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Fourth European Department said in an interview with TASS.

"We are closely interacting with Belgrade on a mutually beneficial basis. This corresponds with the innate national interests of Russia and Serbia. We aim to deepen the bilateral strategic partnership. We hold in high esteem the principled position of Serbian friends who retain independent policy under the conditions of the complex current situation," Yury Pilipson said.

"That said, we understand very well how difficult it is to withstand the unprecedented pressure on the part of the US and the EU who are forcing Belgrade to sacrifice the quality of relations with us for the sake of integration with the West. A dirty game indicating the complete transformation of the European political ‘club’," the diplomat added.

Meanwhile, according to him, the prospects of the further EU expansion in the West Balkans are rather uncertain. "It seems that Brussels is tired of admitting new members. A number of EU countries is actively against the EU membership of the countries of the post-Yugoslav space, lobbying to toughen the methodology of talks with candidates," the diplomat explained. "As for Serbia’s European prospects specifically, the majority of EU countries directly link their fate to the ‘comprehensive normalization’ of relations with Pristina, insisting on Belgrade recognizing Kosovo’s independence in one way or another. The Serbian partners reiterate that they won’t make unacceptable deals," he concluded.