Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with the Serbian newspaper Politika (May 15, 2015)

Question:Couldyou please comment on the absence of most Western leaders at the Victory parade in Moscow? Have time-serving political motivations prevailedover the shared anti-Naziheritage?

Sergey Lavrov: First of all, I would like to thank all those who attended the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War in Moscow, those who were with us duringthose memorable days, and who paid tribute to the veterans who saved Europe and the world from the Nazi madness.

We highly appreciate the decision of our Serbian partners, in particular President Tomislav Nikolić, to attend these celebrations and to dispatch a Serbian military unit for participation in the May 9Parade on Red Square. It wasa clear manifestation of our nations’ reciprocalfriendly feelings based on centuries-long traditions, spiritual closeness and military brotherhood. We proceed from the assumption that preserving the historical memory will continue to be a foundation for the further development of broad cooperation between our countries.

Every state and every leader are free to choose between accepting and rejecting invitations. In particular, we highly appreciate the decision taken by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeierto pay tribute to the war victims in Moscow and Volgograd, even if on the sidelines of the official celebrations. At the same time, itis clear that the magnitude of courage, heroism and self-sacrifice displayed by the peoples of the USSR during the troubled war years eclipses alltime-serving political and geopolitical considerations.

The main lesson of that horrible war is that we must do our outmost to prevent a repetition of that tragedy. Seventy years ago, the countries of the anti-Hitler coalitionmanaged to pool their efforts to deliver a crushing blow at the criminal Nazi ideology and to lay the foundation of the post-war world order, which included the establishment of the UN. As President Vladimir Putin has said referring to the war effort, “We remember (…) the trust and unity that became our common legacy and an example of unification of peoples – for the sake of peace and stability.”Our common task today is to create a system of equal and indivisible security for all countries. It is clearthat we can effectively stand up against the multitude of modern challenges only by joining forces.

The full recognition of the results of World War II, which have been sealed in the UN Charter and other international documents, is a binding condition. We will continue to fight against the glorification of Nazism and any forms and manifestations of racism, xenophobia, aggressive nationalism and chauvinism.

Question: As a neutral country, Serbia did not introduce sanctions against Russia, thereby incurring the displeasure of the EU. But Russian investments in Serbia are still far inferior to European ones. Is Moscow planning to increase investments into Serbian economy?

Sergey Lavrov: First of all, I once again would like to express respect for the position of our Serbian friends, who have decided to be guided by their national interests and refused to join the unilateral and illegitimate restrictions introduced by the European Union.

Today Serbia is one of Russia’s main partners in southeastern Europe. Our two countries are united by relations of friendship and fruitful cooperation that embraces all areas from politics to science and culture. The key principles of our interaction have found a reflection in the Declaration of Strategic Partnership signed by President Vladimir Putin and President TomislavNikolić in Sochi on May 24, 2013.

We are satisfied with the development of Russian-Serbian trade and economic ties. Trade is growing and its pattern is being improved. Some examples of successful application of joint efforts are the modernisation of the Petroleum Industry of Serbia company, where the leading role is being played by Gazprom Neft, and the upgrading of the Serbian rail infrastructure by Russian Railways. Regrettably, we have failed to implement the plan to build a section of the South Stream pipeline in Serbia in consequence of an unconstructive policy pursued by Brussels, which had blocked the project. At the same time, we hope that our energy dialogue will expand consistently, including in the sphere of Russian gas deliveries.

Talks on new Russian investments in the Serbian economy are in progress. We hope that we will soon arrive at mutually beneficial cooperation models and major projects, something that will promote Serbia’s economic development and improve the living standards.

We proceed from the assumption that Russian investors will continue to be offered favourableconditions for doing business. Our time-tested trade and investment cooperation should not depend on outside influences, including such factors as Belgrade-EU rapprochement. We hope that our Serbian partners will abide by an identical logic.

Question:President Putin once equated the Kosovo precedent withthe Crimean precedent regarding the right of nations to self-determination, thereby indirectly legitimisingthe independence of Kosovo. What is the Kremlin’s official position on Kosovo independence, considering all of the new circumstances?

Sergey Lavrov:President Putin never said that. However, we warned that introducing a model for certain territories’independence into international practice would create a precedent. We repeatedly pointed out that the US-led Western alliance has recently been using double standards on a wide scale, violating the fundamental principles of international lawand even not shrinking from interfering in internal affairs of sovereign states. Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya and now Ukraine have felt the full extent of this policy. The ultranationalists who seized power in Kiev in a military coup in February of last year, a coup that was supported by Washington and Brussels, have subsequently torn the country apart and unleashed a bloody civil war.

In that situation, the people of Crimea, acting in full conformity with international law, including the fundamental principle regarding the equality of nations and their right to self-determination, which has been sealed in Article 1 of the UN Charter, Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 1 of theInternational Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and many other respected international documents, held a referendum, during which they voted for independence from Ukraine and for reunificationwith Russia. In light of this, the attempts by the masterminds of Kosovo’s secession from Serbia – secession without a referendum – to callinto question the Crimeans’ free expression of will are absolutely grotesque.

Russia’s stand on the Kosovo question is utterly clear and unchanged: this problem can only be solved on the basis of international law and within the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 1244. As for Belgrade’s efforts inthis area, we certainly regard as acceptable the solutions that will suit Serbia. For our part, we are willing to continue to provide the necessary assistance to our Serbian partners.