Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin said that BRICS represents hope and an opportunity for an alliance with countries that ask nothing of Serbia and can offer more than Serbia seeks.

The BRICS group comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

In an opinion piece for the daily Politika, Vulin said his goal is not to compare or contrast BRICS and the European Union (EU), but to show that there is an alternative to the EU that he deeply believes is closer to its end than to its beginning. He said he is convinced that “there is no place for Serbia in that club, even if it were to give up Kosovo and Metohija.” (Kosovo and Metohija is the official name for what the Serbian authorities consider to be the country’s southern province)

“Membership in BRICS does not require adopting laws written outside our country’s borders, surrendering power to the NGO sector, raising the flag of Ukraine at our embassy, or legalizing same-sex marriages,” said Vulin.

“For membership in BRICS you don’t need to impose sanctions on anyone or let other countries conduct your foreign policy,” wrote Vulin, who is responsible for advancing cooperation with BRICS countries.