BELGRADE, October 3. /TASS/. Serbia will continue to defend its national interests and it will not relinquish its traditional friendly ties with Russia, Aleksandar Vucic who resigned as the Balkan country’s president on September 27 said at a pre-election rally.

"We will continue to pursue our foreign policy course as we have in the past [along] the path toward Europe while taking the protection of our national interests into account and without actually rejecting traditional friendships," Vucic stated. "We are the only European country to refrain from imposing sanctions on Russia - [and] a small nation whose leadership was resolute enough to withstand the pressure," he added.

Snap parliamentary elections in Serbia will be held on October 25. Vucic will lead the ruling Serbian Progressive Party’s list and become its candidate for prime minister. His main opponent is 56-year-old cardiologist Ilija Srdanovic from Novi Sad, who leads the Student List coalition.