Vucic: Serbia-Russia relations very good, Serbia is no one's protectorate

BELGRADE - The relations between Serbia and Russia are very good, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said during a visit to the Russian House - the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Belgrade - on Wednesday.

Vucic noted that Serbia was an independent and sovereign country - not a protectorate of Russia, the UK, the US, Germany or any other country.

"Serbia takes pride in its independence and that is why I am disappointed with a statement by British Foreign Secretary Cameron that Serbia is a protectorate of Russia, as well as with the narrative that we will be the ones to destabilise the region," he said.

He noted that, in fact, many others seemed to be working on that "with assistance from the very same factors that lecture us every day."

"Evidently, many will see you as being in the way if you want to have a policy of your own and when that policy is not about obeying orders from others. We will continue to have an independent policy of our own, including when it comes to the Russian Federation and many others," Vucic said.

Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko said Russia did not want partner countries to turn into pro-Russian states but to respect their own national interests as that provided the best opportunities for development of relations.