Europe is a necessary evil for Serbia and it’s impossible to lead the country and not cooperate with Russia and the EU at the same time, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic said in the interview to Russian agency Sputnik.
In his words, there are no “euro-fanatics” in Serbia. “Maybe there are true Russophiles like us, but there are no true euro-fanatics, because everybody are aware that Europe is a necessary evil, that we are surrounded by the EU; since the World War ll Europe has been meddling in Serbia through the different influences and many of our people work in the Western Europe and talk about their way of life, civilization, protection before the law”, Nikolic explained.
The President reiterated that Serbia will continue the accession negotiations with the EU – “in order to fulfill its conditions” – but that it is “never” going to recognize the independence of Kosovo and Metohija. “The conditions that consider the reforming the state are the normal conditions from our standpoint. We will negotiate as much as it is necessary, for years and decades if that is necessary. We will reform the country during that period. And when they (EU) finally says ‘now you’re going to recognize Kosovo and Metohija’, we will answer ‘no we are not’, and we will not be an EU member, but we will have reformed country”, Nikolic stressed.
Europe knows, he said, that “we are not going to breach our relations with Russia”. “And it has recoiled when we have said that we would not impose sanctions (to Russia). It did not insist. And I think it would soon withdraw its own decision (on sanctions against Russia) because it’s senseless and bizarre not to cooperate with one from which you make profit”, Serbian President concluded adding that Russia “has the right to behave as it wants”.