Puppet Masters

Serbian FM Dacic: Belgrade to sign pact with Eurasian Economic Union

RFE/RL
Fri, 04 Nov 2016 00:00 UTC

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said Belgrade plans on signing an integrated agreement with the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Dacic said during a visit to the Russian city of Suzdal on November 3 that Serbia has "free-trade-zone agreements with certain EAEU members, but they differ." He added that Belgrade is now planning to sign a common agreement good for all members of the EAEU.

Dacic said his government would work to find a "unification with all of these [separate] agreements [with individual EAEU members]."

Serbia has traditionally close ties to Russia but also hopes to become a member of the European Union. The EAEU groups Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia together. It came into being in 2015.

Comment: Serbia stated earlier in the year that it would not become part of the EU if it would hurt its relations with Russia - and, Kosovo has become a sticking point as the EU considers it a sovereign nation. As far as joining NATO, that bombed former Yugoslavia during the Balkan Wars, the Serbs firmly say 'NO.' With the increasing NATO military buildup in the Balkans, Serbia's friendship is important to Russia.