Ragus: Serbia under no obligation to align with EU foreign policy at this time

BELGRADE - Serbian Deputy Parliament Speaker Marina Ragus said on Friday Serbia was under no obligation to align with the EU foreign and security policy at this time and that 100 per cent alignment was an obligation only right before a country joined the EU.

Commenting on a decision by EU member states not to open Cluster 3 in Serbia's accession talks, Ragus told Tanjug the move had been expected even though Serbia had technically met all the conditions and criteria for opening the cluster as early as five years ago.

For that reason, President Aleksandar Vucic decided that Serbia would have no representatives at the EU summit in Brussels, she added.

Ragus said Serbia would continue on the EU accession and membership path, but that it would also continue to pursue a sovereign policy and watch the interests of Serbian citizens in terms of national and state interests.

"In this very hysterical global atmosphere of war, where Serbia is pursuing a policy of peace and stability, some have a problem with that. It is a problem when you pursue a sovereign policy in your relations with both the West and the East. That confirms you are pursuing the best possible policy. People need not worry, the state leaders are there to deal with all challenges," Ragus said, adding that all petrol stations were well supplied in spite of the situation regarding the oil company NIS, which is under US sanctions due to its Russian majority ownership.