Although some European Union officials have recommended Serbia to abstain from signing a free trade area agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the bloc's leadership has not prohibited this cooperation, Serbian Ambassador to Russia Miroslav Lazanski said in an interview with Sputnik
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th October, 2019) Although some European Union officials have recommended Serbia to abstain from signing a free trade area agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the bloc's leadership has not prohibited this cooperation, Serbian Ambassador to Russia Miroslav Lazanski said in an interview with Sputnik.
Serbian Prime Minister Anna Brnabic will come to Russia to sign the free trade area agreement with the EAEU on October 25.
"Of course, we have received several recommendations from certain officials from Brussels, but as for high-ranking EU officials, no one has told us anything, and no one has prohibited us anything regarding signing this agreement. I'm now talking about high-ranking officials, EU leaders. Some second- and third-rank officials have sent us recommendations, but EU leaders have not told us anything on the matter officially and have not prohibited such cooperation," Lazanski said.
The ambassador noted that the country prioritized entering the EAEU market.
"This market is obviously of great importance to us, as it covers 170 million people. Entering this market will be very much important. As for the EU, we are not a EU member state yet, we are on course to join the EU, and there has not been any official ban yet or any hint that we will not be able to cooperate with the EAEU in the future," Lazanski noted.
Many EU member states enjoy economic cooperation with Russia despite sanctions, the diplomat stressed.
"Germany, for example. Meanwhile, the United States purchases Russian-made rocket engines. Boeing would be unable to produce aircraft without Russian raw materials and special metals ... Interestingly, the US has imposed economic sanctions on Russia, but its trade with Russia has increased. So we ask ourselves what it all is about," Lazanski emphasized.
The EAEU was established in 2014 by Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to create a single market and facilitate economic relations between the member countries.
