First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic underlined that he did not understand the statement made by the high official of Germany's Federal Foreign Office Michael Roth, who said that if Serbia was determined to form part of the European Union, and not of Russia, Germany would support it in this direction.

"Serbia and Russia have been traditional friends, but when has Serbia declared the intention of being a part of Russia? What kind of vulgarization of Serbia's foreign policy is this?

For Serbia, aligning with the EU sanctions against Russia is not a matter of the simple process of harmonizing our foreign policy with the EU, this a vital issue for us, because Russia is a country that opposes the recognition of "Kosovo's" independence in the United Nations, while the Western countries, irrespective of the Brussels dialogue, are doing everything in their power to make everyone else recognize Kosovo.

Which country would work to its own disadvantage? Serbia will certainly not be one of them. And when it comes to the infamous membership criteria, we have seen that a country that has expelled more than 200 thousand Serbs and that has not allowed them to return, that is banning the Cyrillic script, that is rehabilitating Fascists and denying the Holocaust, is today blocking Serbia on its European path. Are these the criteria met by Croatia?

We are used to being told by all to undergo catharsis and confront our own past, but will anyone tell the same to Zagreb, Pristina, Sarajevo, or is it only reserved for Belgrade?

I am very pleased with the development of our bilateral relations and with Germany's support, but the comments made by Mr. Michael Roth are out of place and insulting, to say the least."