First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said Serbia would maintain a neutral position on the Ukrainian crisis.

Dacic reiterated that Serbia would never join any sanctions against Russia.

"We respect the territorial integrity of every Member State of the United Nations, including Ukraine but, on the other hand, Serbia will never join any sanctions against Russia not only because it is a friendly country to Serbia, an economic and a political partner, but also because this country has never imposed sanctions on Serbia", Dacic said for "Blic" daily newspaper.

In his interview to this newspaper, the former Prime Minister said that this position would be presented before the Council of Europe, because it was important that Serbia maintained a principled position. Speaking of the dialogue with Pristina, Dacic said that its resumption had not yet been scheduled, but matters were absolutely clear, the negotiation process was held on the Prime Ministerial level.

"It was commenced on that level. Nevertheless, I am ready to make my contribution, if the Prime Minister deems it necessary", said Dacic.
Commenting on the allegations made by the opposition that the personnel of the Serbian Government were influenced by a foreign factor, Dacic said that the claims belonged to a political fiction.

"This time, a coalition was not needed in order to form the Cabinet, but it was a purely political decision of the Prime Minister to extend a hand of cooperation to other political factors as well," said Dacic.