Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday that neither Croatia nor anybody else will decide for Serbia whether it imposes sanctions against Russia as the EU increases pressure on Belgrade to join its policy
PRAGUE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th October, 2022) Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday that neither Croatia nor anybody else will decide for Serbia whether it imposes sanctions against Russia as the EU increases pressure on Belgrade to join its policy.
Earlier in the day, the European Commission agreed on the eighth sanctions package against Russia over its special military operation in Ukraine. The new package of EU sanctions includes the implementation of the G7 oil price cap and expansion of the ban on the import and export of goods.
"As regards the introduction of sanctions, I say it once again: nether you in Croatia nor your government will determine Serbian policy. It is determined by Serbian citizens through fairly elected representatives in opposition to everyone who thinks that they could impose their will on Serbia," Vucic told Croatian journalists on the sidelines of a meeting of the European Political Community in Prague.
The new sanctions package also includes price cap on exports of Russian oil to non-EU countries through the territory of the EU, which has been particularly lobbied by Croatia. This measure would harm Serbia that imports Russian oil through the Adria pipeline, which pumps oil from tankers in the Omisalj terminal in the Croatian island of Kirk to the refineries in Serbia.
"Some EU countries are exempt from the sanctions package including Bulgaria, Hungary and others, while Serbia is not. Croatia has just been following this course for many decades starting 1941 and further. But our business is to find an answer to it in the future," Vucic added.
