KAZAN, October 24. /TASS/. Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin is prepared to give his life to preserve relations with Russia, he told TASS in an interview.
"I am proud of our relations with Russia. I will fight for them until the day I die. Serbia and Russia should grow closer, as it benefits both nations. If it costs me my life, that is not too great a price," he said when asked about the threats against him and concerns for his safety in maintaining a dialogue with Moscow.
Vulin explained that threats are "to be expected when you are involved in politics in these difficult times, where anyone who seeks peace is branded an enemy." "That is normal," the deputy prime minister continued. "As for me, the US authorities imposed personal sanctions on me because of my strong ties with Russia."
Nonetheless, friendship with Russia is "easy when you are a Serb," he stated. "You do not recognize Kosovo, you have never bombed us or displayed aggression toward us, nor have you made any territorial or political demands on us. How can I be afraid [of this friendship]? That would be bizarre," the Serbian deputy prime minister noted.