Voices raised against Minister’s call for sanctions on Russia

Rade Basta
JKP "Beogradske elektrane"

Voices were raised by both ruling coalition and opposition officials against Serbian Economy Minister Rade Basta's call for the government to impose sanctions on Russia.

Basta called the government to impose sanctions on Russia because, he added, Serbia is paying a high price for failing to do so.

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic reacted to Basta’s call for the government to impose sanctions on Russia, saying that his Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) is against that initiative.

Dacic told Politika daily that the SPS supports President Aleksandar Vucic’s policy that Serbia’s national interest and future are the priority. According to him, the SPS firmly supports the stand taken by the Council for National Security and condemns the violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

Dacic’s coalition partner, United Serbia (JS) leader Dragan Markovic Palma told the daily that Basta voiced his personal view, adding that his party is opposed to sanctions against anyone.

The opposition Dveri movement said that its MPs met with Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zaharova and told her that the movement is fiercely opposed to the Serbian authorities imposing sanctions on Russia. Earlier, Zaharova said that the Serbian Economy Minister was calling for Belgrade to impose sanctions while the US was pressuring Serbia.

The Movement of Socialists (a member of the ruling coalition headed by Security Intelligence Agency (BIA) chief Aleksandar Vulin) called for Basta’s resignation.