BRUSSELS, December 17. /TASS/. European Union candidate Serbia has been told its political relations with Russia must reflect foreign policy determined by Brussels.

Alignment "in all its dimensions" should include Russia "as quickly as possible", Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said on Wednesday, leading an EU delegation to the EU-Serbia Council of Association and Stabilization in Brussels.

Serbian authorities have refused to join EU sanctions imposed on Russia though this step hampers bloc membership talks under way since January.

The Balkan republic was granted candidate state status in March 2012. The year 2020 is the expected deadline for Serbian accession.