BELGRADE, April 30. /TASS/. Western countries will increase pressure on Serbia to end its fruitful cooperation with Russia and China, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said in an interview with the Serbian newspaper Politika.
"Serbia is developing relations with the European Union probably for geographic and economic reasons. On the other hand, it has consistently defended its right to pursue an independent foreign policy," the senior Russian diplomat argued. "Serbia’s position will largely depend on whether it can firmly assert its sovereignty. The West will likely increase its pressure on Serbia to choose it instead of maintaining a fruitful cooperation with other partners, primarily Russia and China," he warned.
The military neutrality has allowed Serbia "to stay away from conflicts, while simultaneously developing cooperation in various formats," Grushko continued. According to him, this stance "may be even more in demand" as the world will continue to move toward multipolarity.