The U.S. State Department (USD) told Radio Free Europe (RFE) on Thursday that it is aware of a meeting between the Serbian Foreign Minister, Ivica Dačić, and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, earlier in the day in Moscow.
“We do not believe that any country should offer [Russian President Vladimir] Putin a platform to promote or justify his ongoing aggressive war against Ukraine,” the USD said to Radio Free Europe.
Dačić traveled to the Russian capital at Lavrov’s invitation to watch a friendly football match between the national teams of Serbia and Russia on Thursday afternoon.
Serbia became the first European national team to play a football match in Russia since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Official Belgrade has not agreed to join the European Union sanctions – although it aims to become a member of the bloc – since the bloc began sanctioning Russia two years ago due to the invasion of Ukraine.
After meeting with Lavrov, Dačić stated that maintaining relations with Russia and China is a “vital state interest” for Serbia.
Dačić, the current head of Serbian diplomacy, publicly defends the position that Serbia does not impose sanctions against Russia, despite being requested by the European Union.
Official Belgrade relies on the support of Russia and China in international organizations and institutions for the non-recognition of Kosovo as an independent state.
Serbia does not recognize the independence of Kosovo – declared by official Pristina in 2008 – but has been engaging in dialogue with it since 2011, under the mediation of the European Union, for the normalization of neighborly relations.
In Moscow, Dačić thanked Russia for its steadfast stance and support for Serbia regarding territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as the issue of Kosovo.
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said before the meeting that Russia is interested in “preventing new crises” in the Balkans, according to the news agency Beta.
Lavrov is reported to have told Dačić that he wants to hear his assessment of the situation in the Balkans, which he described as “serious”.
Source: Botasot.net
