The makeup of the new Serbian Government has been announced that will have to resolve the issue of imposing sanctions on Russia, while its key figure will be Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) leader Ivica Dacic, who is considered a pro-Russian politician, reported the Moscow daily Kommersant.

In an article entitled Serbia’s Government Turned Toward the East, the daily said that Zorana Mihajlovic, who had accused Russia of “waging a war of conquest” and advocated alignment with European Union’s (EU) foreign policy, did not make it into the new Government.

The daily added that regional analysts describe the new Government line-up as pro-Russian but do not believe that this guarantees that Serbia will refuse to join the European sanctions against Moscow.

“One of the new Government’s priority tasks will be to resolve the issue of imposing sanctions on Russia. Serbia remains the only country among EU members and membership candidates that has not joined the anti-Russia measures,” the daily said.

Kommersant said that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic nominated Prime Minister Ana Brnabic for the position of new Prime Minister Designate back in August and added that Brnabic “zealously avoids the role of an independent political figure and fully follows the President’s policy.”

“Having this in mind, SPS leader Ivica Dacic becomes the key figure in the new Government. In addition to being the First Deputy Prime Minister, Dacic will also head the Foreign Ministry and coordinate all the country’s special services,” said the daily.

Kommersant noted that, following the April election, Vucic publicly reproached Dacic for his Socialists’ “improper behavior” in the election campaign, unequivocally supporting Russia in the Ukrainian crisis.

Croatian foreign policy analyst Vlado Vurusic told Kommersant that the new Serbian Government will be one of “pro-Russia orientation.”

“Everyone talks about Dacic as being ‘Moscow’s player’, and Aleksandar Vulin’s transfer to the Security Information Agency means that the Russian special services, ironically speaking, will always have fresh information on Serbia,” said Vurusic.

He said whether or not Serbia will impose sanctions on Russia will still depend solely on Vucic “who will just hide behind the Government decisions.”