"EU strategic objective, Russia advantage"

"EU strategic objective, Russia advantage"

BELGRADE -- The EU is "a strategic objective for Serbia - but that does not rule out cooperation with Russia - an advantage that Serbia intends to use."

This is what President Tomislav Nikolić told the visiting Bulgarian minister of foreign affairs, Kristian Vigenin, as they met in Belgrade on Thursday.

"Bulgaria backs Serbia's efforts aimed at becoming a full-fledged member of the EU because the accession of the entire Balkans to the Union will make it possible to establish lasting peace in the region and promote cooperation among the Balkan nations, which depend on one another," a statement from president's press office quoted Vigenin as saying.

Nikolić "expressed hope that the European Union's objections regarding the implementation of the South Stream will be tackled soon and that works on that project will resume in Bulgaria as planned."

Nikolić said that "the cooperation between Serbia and Bulgaria has never been better and that he expects it to improve further, in particular once the construction of highway and railway routes towards Bulgaria is complete."