Dacic, Lavrov Meet in Turkey: We Want Serbia to Develop Good Relations with Russia

Ivica Dacic (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic has said that he met with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, during an international conference in Antalya, Turkey, on March 2.

“We want to develop good relations with Russia, and are thankful for Russia’s positive stance at the U.N. Security Council’s session on Kosovo. We need to work on our own interests first,” Dacic said to reporters.

“Whenever Russian influence in the Balkans is mentioned, the reference is to Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. I do not see how Russian influence can make it difficult for North Macedonia to open accession talks with the European Union, or disrupt any other bilateral relationship,” Dacic said.

Having attended a panel called, Challenges and Opportunities in the Western Balkans, during the Diplomatic Forum in Antalya, Dacic told reporters that Serbia “firmly holds the defense line against any attempt at imposing Kosovo’s entry into international organizations and institutions using a side road.” Dacic also had a series of fringe bilateral meetings with foreign ministers during the conference.