BELGRADE, October 25. /TASS/. Serbia is on the path to joining the European Union but it will never impose any sanctions on Russia and will never recognize Kosovo’s independence, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic said on Tuesday at a meeting with Belarus’ Minister of Information, Liliya Ananich.

"We will never recognize Kosovo’s independence and will never be able to impose sanctions on Russia. We don’t want to take anyone’s side when our friends are at odds, since we could lose one friend and never win another," Nikolic explained.

The Serbian leader thanked his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, who "stood by Serbia during times of trouble" and even paid a visit to his country back in 1999, when it was bombed by NATO.

On Monday, the Serbian president criticized some of the European Union membership conditions as being humiliating for his country. "Some new chapters (on the agenda for EU entrance) have been created for Serbia. Other candidate states did not have to meet those conditions, some of which are even humiliating," Nikolic said without specifying what he meant.

Serbia received its EU candidacy status in March 2012, its expected date of entry is 2020.