Dveri Movement Leader Claims Ruling Majority Leaves Option for Imposing Sanctions against Russia Open

Bosko Obradovic (BETAPHOTO/AMIR HAMZAGIC/MO)

The Serbian Movement Dveri whip in the Serbian Parliament, Bosko Obradovic, on April 25 said that at the April 24 session of the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, the ruling coalition MPs had withheld their votes on the proposal to impose sanctions against Russia to leave the option open.

In a statement, Obradovic said that by withholding their votes, the Serbian Progressive Party and the Socialist Party of Serbia had left the option for imposing sanctions against Russia open, similarly to when they “imposed sanctions against Belarus under the pressure from the EU.” In support to his claim, Obradovic said that at the April 24 Committee session, the ruling majority had rejected a draft resolution on prohibiting unilateral sanctions as a foreign policy instrument, submitted by 28 MPs of the opposition parties describing them as patriotic.

“An additional reason why the incumbent regime cannot be trusted on this matter is the fact that the National Security Council’s decisions on rejecting the French-German plan for Kosovo and a moratorium on joint military drills with any country have been both breached,” Obradovic stressed.

On April 24, the Serbian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee did not adopt a draft resolution on aligning Serbia’s foreign policy with the EU’s, including sanctions against Russia. The draft resolution, submitted by Committee Chairman Borko Stefanovic, was backed by two Committee members, one was against, while 12 abstained from voting.

The Foreign Affairs Committee also rejected the Serbian Government’s recommendations on a new foreign policy, a Declaration on the need to strengthen collaboration with Russia at the bilateral level and in international organizations, and the draft resolution on prohibiting unilateral sanctions as a foreign policy instrument, submitted by the right-wing opposition parties.

The Committee also dismissed a Declaration on “Serbian mini-Schengen,” envisaged as a new form of integration of Serbia, Republika Srpska and Montenegro, also submitted by the right-wing opposition parties.