Vucic:We are not balancing EU ambitions and ties with Russia

MOSCOW - Serbia is not attempting to balance between its EU ambitions and its close ties with Russia, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said in an interview to Business New Europe (bne), Moscow-based English language magazine.

According to bne, Vucic implied that Serbia will not press forward with the construction of the controversial South Stream gas pipeline, until the issue is resolved between the EU and Russia.

"(South Stream) is between the EU and Russia - if they agree on this, we'll have it, we'll provide the project. If they don't have that agreement, we are not going to harm anyone, particularly not our European friends. We made a good contract with Russia, but we did not start any construction," Vucic told bne.

"We are not balancing," he stressed.

In his interview to bne, Vucic expressed hope that Serbia will be able to join the EU in 2020, or perhaps in 2022, "if we do our homework".

"It's not up to us, but we have to do everything (we can), not to get mercy from the EU, but to be proud people from a proud country that will enter the EU, and that's why we are doing these reforms," said Vucic.

Photo Tanjug, J. Pap (archive)