Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose scheduled visit to Belgrade was cancelled on Monday because of an overflight ban, said that the unthinkable has happened and accused Brussels of depriving a sovereign state of the right to pursue its own foreign policy.
Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro closed their airspace to the plane that was to carry Moscow’s top diplomat to Belgrade on Monday.
“The Russian Foreign Minister’s visit to Belgrade is seen by the EU as a threat,” said Lavrov claiming that Former Swedish PM Carl Bildt and US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill said that the worst thing that Serbia could do on its European path is to receive Russia’s Foreign Minister, and that it has to choose between the East and the West.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the decision by three Balkan countries to ban Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s flight to Belgrade was a “hostile act” which could cause problems but can’t stop Russia’s diplomatic service from doing its job.
“There should be freedom of choice regarding partners, the West itself advocated this and then destroyed this choice,” said Lavrov.
Commenting the fact that three Serbian neighbors decided not to allow his plane’s overflight, Lavrov said the decision will be attributed to these countries, but that “we know how it was”.
Lavrov said that Moscow has invited Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic to visit Russia in the near future. “I hope the aircraft carrying him will not be exposed to shame by Brussels, which has completely lost face”, said Lavrov.
