Former head of Serbia’s Security and Information Agency (BIA, intelligence and counterintelligence) Aleksandar Vulin said in an interview with RIA Novosti that the country will not impose sanctions against Russia despite pressure from the West.
Aleksandar Vulin noted that Serbia and Russia are linked by deep historical and economic relations.
“President (Aleksandar) Vucic is the only free statesman in Europe who dares to say that he will not impose sanctions against Russia and that he listens to his people. This is the position of the Serbian people – we do not want to be part of the anti-Russian hysteria,” Vulin said.
He also noted the enormous pressure from the West on Serbia over the issue.
“They always start with attacks in the media, then (pressurise) economically: withdrawing foreign direct investment, slowing down investment, blackmailing investment, slowing down our European path, all the way to attacking individual officials. That’s why I’m on the US sanctions list. That is why I eventually resigned as head of the Security and Information Agency (Serbian intelligence services – ed), because I did not want my sanctions to be transferred to the whole Serbia,” he said.
Earlier, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that Serbia would continue its path to the European Union and maintain traditionally friendly relations with Russia and China, despite the discontent of other countries.