Milivojevic: Serbia made the right decision regarding BRICS attendance, there will be no change in relations with Russia

Diplomat Zoran Milivojevic believes that Serbia made the right decision regarding attending the BRICS summit, which aligns with the country's state and national interests, and thus no one can be upset, nor will there be any changes in relations with Russia.

In a statement to Kosovo Online, Milivojevic said that the dilemma about traveling to the Russian Federation was resolved through a conversation between the two presidents.

"There are no changes in our relations with the Russian Federation. The Serbian side remains principled regarding sanctions, and Russia remains committed to Serbia's territorial integrity. We heard from President Vucic yesterday that the Minister of Economy of the Russian Federation will be visiting as soon as Saturday, so there are no changes, and no one will be upset," Milivojevic explained.

He added that Serbia is not a BRICS member, and therefore has no obligations toward anyone and acts in accordance with its state and national interests, and based on the principles it stands behind.

"Serbia has expressed its position towards BRICS by sending a high-level delegation, which is clear from the composition of the delegation. This shows that Serbia is not ignoring BRICS. Serbia certainly considers BRICS to be one of the important forums. It includes countries with which Serbia has strategic relations—China and Russia, both of which are extremely important in terms of their stance towards Serbia and Kosovo and Metohija. The core BRICS group, these five countries, has not recognized Kosovo's self-proclaimed independence, and Serbia is certainly mindful of that. Therefore, there is no reason for anyone to be upset," the diplomat emphasized.

As Milivojevic emphasized, Serbia and President Vucic had a specific interest today, namely the trilateral meeting in Komárno.

"This is a meeting with two countries that are very important for Serbia—Hungary, which is a friendly country and currently holds the EU presidency. Hungary supports Serbia on its European path and has a friendly stance regarding our national interest in Kosovo and Metohija. While they recognized Kosovo's self-proclaimed independence, they act in a way that does not institutionalize it. Then there is Slovakia, which does not recognize Kosovo and is an extremely important friendly state. These are two countries that currently pursue independent policies and are members of both NATO and the EU. They advocate for peace and principles that shape the EU. So, this meeting is extremely important, especially because of the topic on the agenda, which is security. This is a crucial issue given the conflict in Europe but also in the Middle East. So, this is a priority for Serbia at the moment, and it is no coincidence that the president is there. These are two leaders with whom Serbia and President Vucic have excellent personal relations," said Milivojevic.

In his opinion, Serbia is pursuing a foreign policy that is fundamentally based on independence, military neutrality, and the state and national interest.

"In this case, none of those interests have been neglected. All are represented, both regarding BRICS, Serbia's European path, and specific interests related to security, regional cooperation, and relations with certain countries—in this case, Hungary and Slovakia," said the former diplomat.

Milivojevic emphasized that this decision is the best one for Serbia.

"It is the best possible decision. It aligns with specific interests and does not neglect any of the principled positions, nor specific interests in relations with other countries and with international organizations and associations, from the EU to BRICS. Everything is included, and the decision is the right one. There has been no reaction, and that's very important. There has been no reaction from the BRICS hosts, from the Russian Federation. This issue has been resolved without any consequences; at least I have not seen any reaction from any other side, so this is a clear indicator that Serbia made the right decision," Milivojevic concluded.