BELGRADE, April 30. /TASS/. Belgrade will not abandon its long-time friends Russia and China, who supported it during its toughest times, Serbian Prime Minister Duro Macut said.
"Serbia will not forsake its long-time friends or abandon cooperation with the countries that supported us in the most difficult times. Russia and China are our friends and it will remain like that," he pointed out in an interview with the Politika newspaper.
Macut slammed "hypocritical" requests by Western countries that Serbia "abandon cooperation with its friends," while they maintain "far greater and broader cooperation." According to the premier, Belgrade is determined to cooperate with others "on equal terms, fully respecting international law and the right to self-determination."
Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko stated that cooperation between Moscow and Belgrade continued to develop steadily, despite obstacles from the West. The senior Russian diplomat noted that Russia and Serbia consistently implemented joint economic projects in the fields of energy and transport. According to Grushko, the two countries’ academic circles also maintain good ties.