Serbia’s developed relations with Turkey are not an obstacle to further deepening cooperation with Greece, This was reported to “K” by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Ivica Dacic.during his first visit outside his country after taking office. The principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity is equally important for all states without exception, including Cyprus, Ukraine, Greece and Serbia.

– If I had to give an example of a country with which Serbia has the best relations, I would name Greece without hesitation. Serbia is especially grateful to Greece for its firm position on the non-recognition of the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo and Metohija, and we consider this a political principle of Athens, as well as a friendly attitude towards Serbia, convinced that this will continue. in future. On the other hand, Serbia strongly and consistently supports the territorial integrity of Greece and Cyprus both on land, at sea and in the air, emphasizing the importance of respecting international law, UN Security Council resolutions and the Convention on the Law of the Sea. This position of Serbia remains unchanged. In addition, our joint opportunities in the field of energy supply, mainly natural gas, are increasing, so this is also an area where I see even closer cooperation between Serbia and Greece in the near future.

– Next year will be exactly 20 years since the entry into force of the EU. pledged in Thessaloniki to admit Serbia and other Balkan countries as members when they meet the criteria. Two decades in the lobby is a very long time for us and for the EU. I am sure that both sides are to blame for the fact that everything is moving so slowly. In my opinion, more of the EU than Serbia and the Balkans. Serbia wants to become a member of the EU, this is our permanent strategic choice, which is a priority for both the current and the previous government. But due to the long wait, and less and less EU interest. By enlargement, citizens lose their enthusiasm for joining the EU and ask themselves: “Do they really want us there?”.

Serbia is especially grateful to Greece for its firm position on non-recognition of the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo and Metohija.

– The Serbian people perceive the Greek people as brothers with especially close spiritual, historical and cultural ties, and this goes beyond any other political relationship. I cannot influence people’s feelings, but I can speak openly about Serbia’s position towards its friends and partners around the world and especially in the immediate environment. It is a fact that we have established relations with Turkey, but I do not see this as an obstacle to progress with Greece, our traditional friend, in further deepening our cooperation in all areas.

– Serbia deeply regrets this conflict, because two peoples very close to us are involved in it. We hope, perhaps more than others, that peace will be achieved as soon as possible, and we wish this not only as a nation close to both Russians and Ukrainians, but also as a nation that has recently experienced war, sanctions and suffering. which are the following. Keep in mind that my country, our strategic development plans and reforms do not benefit in the least from instability, both in our region, and even more so in Europe. It is for this reason that many times until today at the highest world forums, including the UN, we supported the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, because this is our unshakable principle, because our own sovereignty and territorial integrity are also under threat in Kosovo case and actions. At the same time, we believe that we should not impose economic sanctions on Russia and we have every right to do so, since we are the only European country whose citizens faced sanctions and we remember very well what their consequences were for the citizens themselves, but also for the economy . These positions of ours stem not only from the experience that history has taught us and from the principles of respect for international law, but at the same time from our fundamental interests.

– Support for Athens in the dialogue and in general the position of Greece as a member of the EU. influential, not recognizing the independence of Kosovo, is more than valuable to us and we are infinitely grateful to her. In this way, Greece demonstrates not only the close relationship that exists with Serbia, but, above all, its commitment to the principles of international law and respect for internationally recognized norms within which we can develop as democratic countries and partner countries. Today, the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity is of particular importance, but it must be equally important and respected for every state without exception – equally for Cyprus, Ukraine, Greece and Serbia, without discrimination.