ST. PETERSBURG, June 5. /TASS/. Serbia is being dragged into a confrontation with Russia unceremoniously and with pressure, and the question is how strongly the republic is resisting, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in an interview with TASS at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
When asked about the possibility of Serbia introducing a visa regime for Russians, Zakharova cited statements by the President of the Republic, Aleksandar Vucic, that there were no such plans. "We see how Serbia is being dragged endlessly into a confrontation with Russia. They do it with pressure, they do it unceremoniously. The question, of course, is how strongly Serbia is resisting. Because it's not just about Russia, it's primarily about Serbia itself," she said.
Zakharova said that relations with Russia have always given Serbia only advantages - help, support, sometimes rescue, economic bonuses, development, and solutions to pressing issues. "And when Serbia is being set up against our country, then in fact Serbia is being set up against itself. And it's not just about the truly fraternal ties that bind us," she continued.
The diplomat explained that in this way Serbia is being forced to lose the advantages, privileges, and bonuses that it receives on a large scale from cooperation with Russia. "What does it mean to drag Serbia into anti-Russian sanctions? It's not just a political gesture. It's not just about breaking some special spirit or breaking the special bonds that we have. This is about the fact that Serbia should, from the point of view of its ill-wishers, so to speak, strike a blow to itself: not to receive energy from us, not to sell its goods, and so on," Zakharova said.
"I think that these fakes that were made are just from the same soured matter," she concluded.
About the forum
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is taking place from 3 to 6 June. The main theme is "Pragmatic Dialogue: the Path to a Stable Future.” " The forum's program is devoted to the formation of a new model of global development in the context of the transformation of the global economy.
The forum is organized by the Roscongress Foundation. The general information partner is TASS.