Interview by the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the Serbian newspaper “Politics”, 3 February 2014

Question: The relations between Russia and Serbia are very good, but, as a well-known politician has said, they could be better. In your opinion, what could be improved?

Lavrov: The relations between our countries are not just good – they reach the level of strategic partnership, they embrace all the areas of our interaction – politics, trade, economics, culture, science and education – and they serve the interests of our people. The basic principles of our interaction are fixed in the Declaration on Strategic Partnership signed by the Presidents Vladimir Putin and Tomislav Nikolić on 24 May 2013 in Sochi.

Russia and Serbia are united by deep mutual feelings of friendship, mutual understanding and trust, many ages of closeness of our people, memories of being brothers in arms, primarily in our fight against fascism in the years of the Second World War. This is a firm foundation, on which our cooperation in the bilateral format is developing. We are reinforcing our interaction on a broad range of items on the international agenda.

At the same time, it is evident that the high level we have reached in our ties, does not fully correspond to the needs and opportunities of the two countries. Russian-Serbian ties have a significant potential in the trade and economic sector. The example is there for all to see, of the successful investment cooperation – after the entry of a Russian investor inthe share capital of Petroleum Industry of Serbia, PIS,which not only stopped being unprofitable, but turned into the largest taxpayer in the country. We hope that Russian investors will be offered favourable conditions in the future as well. We are convinced that the inflow of Russian capital, large credit agreements, contribute to the economic development of Serbia, and thus raise the level and quality of life of the Serbian nationals.

We have always believed that Russian-Serbian relations cannot be a hostage to external factors. It is important for us that the fact that Belgrade is becomingcloser to the European Union, and has started official talks about the accession of Serbia to the EU, was not detrimental to our partnership, including the implementation of large-scale economic and infrastructure projects, including in the area of energy. We are convinced that our Serbian friends are guided by the same understanding.

Question: Europe started to make threats with its Third Energy Package as soon as Serbia started to construct the South Stream. There is a risk that using the "carrot and stick" approach, Europe will attempt to "explain" to the Serbs that there is no place for them in Europe with such energy agreements with Russia, which do not meet "European standards". Will Serbia, which has been subject to terrible pressure and blackmail, be able to protect the South Stream, and how can Russia help in this?

Lavrov: The South Stream is a weighty contribution of Russia to complex energy security in the continent, though diversification of gas transportation routes to European countries. If we talk about Serbia, these are also large-scale investments of up to 2 billion euro and new jobs.

Against this background, we are perplexed and concerned about the statements of Brussels, that intergovernmental agreements between Russia and countries which are parties to the South Stream project, including Serbia, should be revised to make them comply with the provisions of the EU's Third Energy Package. It is evident that European Union laws should not be applied retrospectively, to impede the performance of earlier agreements. The above mentioned agreements are an integral part of international law and cannot be revised unilaterally. We believe that our Serbian partners share such an approach.

We have an active dialogue with the European Commission to provide any necessary withdrawals from the TEP to the South Stream. We offer the EU the opportunity to conclude a special bilateral agreement regulating the principles of the functioning of transborder energy infrastructure. For these purposes, we have developed a respective draft document and transferred it to the European Union.

Many questions have accumulated in the relations between Russia and the EU, including those related to the implementation of the Eastern Partnership policy. We note that there is no adequate reaction by the EU to Ukrainian events, primarily the occupation of local administrations by opposition groups in several regions of Ukraine. There was a comprehensive and fair talk on a broad spectrum of topics at the EU-Russia summit on the 28 January. It is important that it has confirmed the strategic nature of the Russian-European Union partnership.

Question: The situation has significantly changed since our last conversation about the situation in Serbian Kosovo and Metokhia. How do you see it today?

Lavrov: Of course, certain changes are taking place in Kosovo and Metokhia, and generally in the Balkans. The Russian position remains unchanged – any viable and mutually acceptable decision must be reached on the basis of UNSC resolution 1244. We are ready to help Belgrade in connection with Kosovo, assuming that the Serbs themselves set their priorities for their work in this direction.

In principled terms, we supported the set-up of a dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina to create the prerequisites for the improvement of living conditions for the population in the region. We certainly attach special attention to the easing of the situation of the Serbian community.

Unfortunately, we see that the differences Serbian nationals face in this area every day, especially in enclaves, have not gone away. Sites of Serbian spiritual and cultural heritage are still under threat – the work to restore Orthodox sanctities in the area under the aegis of UNESCO with Russian assistance has just been completed, and we hope it will not be wasted. We need to investigate the cases of human organs trafficking most thoroughly. We are concerned about the ongoing illegal turnover of weapons and drugs. Other threats, including the terrorist threat, are also present.

We note some progress in negotiations. We will agree to any outcomes, if Serbia is happy with them. At the same time, any advances should not be a reason for the international community to engage in wishful thinking. They should remain focused on the situation in Kosovo and Metokhia.

Question: We celebrate one hundred years since the beginning of the First World War this year. We have observed serious attempts to falsify history in the world – they started to prove that Serbia and Russia were guilty of the war. How do we oppose the vast propagandistic machine of those who were guilty of starting it?

Lavrov:Indeed, a hundred years since the start of the First World War is an important historical landmark, which makes us think about the causes of the turbulences faced by the European continent in the 20th century, to attempt to draw lessons from this for the future. We are convinced that we should use this date, as well as other memorable dates, not as a course for new information wars, political games based on falsification of facts, but to prevents such tragedies in the future, to make the "cold war" the last period of confrontation in Europe.

The events, which were unfolding in the continent on the eve of the First World War, provide us with convincing proof of what any manifestations of national egoism, the aspiration to strengthen personal security and guarantee personal interests at the expense of others,can lead to. I would also like to draw attention to the fact that the attempts to isolate Russia, move it to the margin of European politics, have always actuated processes, the development of which eventually led to disaster. Otherwise, the active participation of our country in European affairs was, as a rule, accompanied by long periods of peace and stable development. I think we need to take all these considerations into account, when we develop ways to overcome crisis manifestations in Europe.

Russia has created a special organisation committee to prepare the events related to 100 years since the First World War. The approaching anniversary has a special meaning for our countries – we plan to celebrate it together by conducting several joint actions. We are undertaking the necessary steps to restore the unique Russian Necropolis at the New Cemetery in Belgrade,where many Russian participants of that war were buried at that date. We are sincerely grateful to the Belgrade authorities that they remember them.

On this occasion, I would like to congratulate the Politics newspaper on its remarkable anniversary – 110 years since its establishment - and wish its creative team new successes, and its readers – all the best.