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Serbia not convinced EU serious about dialogue with Russia — former deputy PM

Srbijagas Aleksandar Vulin said that he is not sure that the Europeans really want to engage in dialogue with Russia

MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/. Serbia believes that Europe isn't serious about re-establishing dialogue with Russia, as evidenced by their desire to designate a mediator to talk with Moscow, Serbia’s former deputy prime minister and now chairman of the Supervisory Board of state gas company Srbijagas Aleksandar Vulin told TASS ahead of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

"First, I am not sure that the Europeans really want to engage in dialogue with Russia," he said. "Why then should they need a mediator? Why shouldn’t they talk to Mr. [Russian Foreign Minister Sergey] Lavrov at the official level? Why shouldn’t they ask President [of Russian Vladimir] Putin to talk to them at the official level? Why should they need a mediator? Who can represent the European Union? I am not sure the Europeans really need dialogue so much as they want to grandstand."

According to Vulin, Europe is misguided in the way it views its role in negotiations. "But you are not in a state of war. Russia is not fighting against Europe. Maybe, Europe is in a state of some unspoken war against Russia. But talks are needed in such a time. You need an open dialogue with Moscow and you don't need a go-between for that," he noted, adding that there is a "regular diplomatic channel that could be used for that."

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