Russia is ready to arm its Balkan ally Serbia with sophisticated weapons, the Russian deputy prime minister said Monday, which could be at odds with Belgrade’s desire to join the European Union. Dmitry Rogozin said in Belgrade that “we are ready to directly support our Balkan ally” in the purchase of weapons, including the S300 surface-to-air missile system.”We will consider (Serbia’s) request in the shortest possible period,” Rogozin said.
*****Serbia is interested in developing military and technical cooperation with Russia, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic said at a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin in Belgrade on Monday. “Serbia will not ask for any concessions, although we have reasons to expect much from Russia,” the president said, noting he was surprised with the fact that neighboring Croatia is holding talks on purchasing ballistic missile defense systems from Norway. “We are not going to start a war with Croatia,” Nikolic said, expressing his gratitude to Russia for its “concerns over Serbia’s security.” Rogozin assured Nicolic that he would fulfill Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order to “study and figure out the Serbian needs” as soon as possible. “Dmitry Rogozin said the Russian president highly assessed of relations between the two countries,” the press service of the Serbian president said. “We need to take additional efforts to enhance military, technical and economic relations,” Rogozin said. “As for Kosovo, Russia and justice are on Serbia’s side, so we need to be patient and not recognize the independence of Kosovo, which Russia will never do,” the press service said. The Serbian president thanked Vladimir Putin for the support at the UN Security Council sidelines and asked Russia to help Serbian businessmen with the access to the Russian market.
DETAILED INFO : Russia is ready to arm its Balkan ally Serbia with sophisticated weapons, the Russian deputy prime minister said Monday, which could be at odds with Belgrade’s desire to join the European Union.
Dmitry Rogozin said in Belgrade that “we are ready to directly support our Balkan ally” in the purchase of weapons, including the S300 surface-to-air missile system.
“We will consider (Serbia’s) request in the shortest possible period,” Rogozin said.
Serbia’s prime minister, Aleksandar Vucic, told a joint news conference that Serbia will remain militarily neutral, but won’t allow itself to become “an easy target.”
Serbia, traditionally a Russian ally, has officially sought EU membership, but has been struggling to overcome strong opposition from pro-Kremlin nationalists. So far, Serbia has resisted pressure from the EU to join in sanctions against Russia.
Many Western officials fear that increasing Russia’s political, economic and military role in Serbia and a Serb-controlled part of Bosnia could destabilize the Balkans, which is still reeling from wars in the 1990s. Serbs are seen as the last true Russian allies in the southeastern European region.
Rogozin, who presented Vucic with a model of S300 at the news conference, said that if Serbia had the air defense system in 1999, it would have avoided destruction from the three-month NATO air campaign launched against it over Belgrade’s bloody crackdown against Kosovo Albanian separatists.
One Comment
elaine
At last , the best news to be heard, Russia arming Serbia, with the state Europe is getting into, the betrayal and hostility they have shown toward Serbia – why would they have a future within the hatred that Europe is. EU has shown no attempt to at friendly talks, it has demanded and ordered Serbia, it has offered no justice or protection to any Serbian citizen. As for USA they have committed obscene atrocities and evil purging of the Serbian people, they deserve no room in any affairs of Serbia’s, having already proven how keen and ready they are to raze Serbia to the ground.