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Serbia will not give up friendship with Russia but will honor EU commitments — president

Aleksandar Vucic added that Serbia values "these friendly ties"

BELGRADE, June 28. /TASS/. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told a rally of his supporters in Belgrade that his country will not reject its current friendship with Russia and China but will honor the commitments undertaken as part of its quest for the EU membership.

"We are taking the European path. But we are not going to spoil our friendly relations, for example, with China or Russia. We do not leave our friends in trouble. We value these friendly ties," he said.

"As far as speeding up our progress on the European path is concerned, we are going to meet our commitments," Vucic added.

Earlier on Saturday, Vucic said he was planning to step down as the head of the state "in a few weeks" in order to support to the Serbian Progressive Party in the parliamentary elections.

On May 21, he announced parliamentary elections in the coming fall, from late September to mid-October. Parliament speaker Ana Brnabic said that the ruling Serbian Progressive Party plans to propose to Vucic to be its candidate for prime minister in the upcoming parliamentary polls.

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