Vucic's stern response to NATO Secretary General: It concerns cooperation between Serbia and China

Photo: Tanjug/Serbian Presidency

President Aleksandar Vucic stated today that Serbia is militarily neutral and makes its own choices regarding those it cooperates with.

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Vucic stated this during an address to the public on Tuesday, when a journalist asked for his comment about NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte saying that Serbia "has the sovereign right to participate in exercises with the Chinese military" - but that he would "distance himself from Vucic's cooperation with China."

“It's best that we don't cooperate with anyone; it's best that others rule for us," Vucic said sarcastically, and added:

"(Rutte) will always say, 'We respect Serbia's sovereign right to make its own decisions, but I would distance myself from Vucic when he cooperates with China. But, I would not distance myself from Vucic when he conducts exercises with NATO and the United States, yet I would distance myself if he cooperates in any way with Russia or anyone else'... We are a militarily neutral country, and we will cooperate with whomever we choose."

The president added that he distances himself from NATO, and everything NATO did in 1999 (bombing of Serbia), noting that the Serbian people have also distanced themselves from that.

"We want to maintain good cooperation with them especially through KFOR. We are pleased with the very professional relationship we have with KFOR. We have good relations with NATO, and we will continue to maintain them. So I thank Mr. Rutte for distancing himself from me. I have no problem with that; he did me a favor. Serbia is a free and sovereign country and will remain that way," Vucic concluded.

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)