Vucic about meeting Putin: We don’t stab friends in the back

NEWS 04.12.201912:42
Tanjug/Predsedništvo Srbije

Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic said the relations between Belgrade and Moscow “are friendly and brotherly and that if Serbia counts on someone in the international arena that’s Russia as well as they (count) on us," the Beta news agency reported.

Ahead of meeting the Russian head of state Vladimir Putin in Sochi on Wednesday,  Vucic added that Putin had always had an understanding for Serbia what many meetings proved and that he had never conditioned the cooperation.

“In the times that are not easy and under many pressures to join against Moscow, we managed to preserve the independence in the decision-making process because we don’t stab our friends in the back,” Vucic told Happy TV.

 He added that Putin “even told me, hey, you should not do that, you put yourself in a difficult position, I know what kind of pressures you are exposed.”

 Vucic said his country needed cooperation with both the European Union and Russia, although “it’s difficult since no pone will be quite happy.”

“Some Europeans asked me why I go to see Putin? Well, because you wait three hours (for a meeting), and I don’t have to,” Vucic said, adding that the delegation from the West “chase” Chinese representative around the globe to meet them about the economic cooperation.

Speaking about Putin, Serbia’s President said he managed to make Russia “a political giant” who had a word in almost all issues in the world, and, according to Vucic, that was the reason why some people did not like him.

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He did no mention the media and analysts speculations about the effect of the two scandals involving Russia – Serbia’s arms export to Ukraine and a Russian spy affair with Serbia’s army officer to the Moscow – Belgarde relationship.