Russia says West politicizing energy sector with pressure on Serbia over NIS stake buyout
Deputy FM Grushko says situation demonstrates external pressure forcing Serbia to reconsider cooperation with Russia
BELGRADE, April 30. /TASS/. The situation with the pressure on Belgrade concerning the buyout of the Russian stake in Serbia's NIS company demonstrates politicizing of the energy sphere by the West, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said in an interview with Serbian Politika newspaper. "The situation around NIS demonstrates how the West politicizes the energy sector, applying external pressure on Serbia and forcing it to reconsider established, reliable and predictable formats of cooperation with Russia. We assume final decisions relatively to NIS will conform to interests of Russia and Serbia," Grushko said. Russian-Serbian relations remain stable "even amid serious shocks at the international stage," the deputy minister noted. Cooperation between Moscow and Belgrade within the framework of NIS management and long-term stable supplies of Russian energy resources to Serbia at the most comfortable prices are not merely commercial projects but the indicator of interrelationship between the two countries, he added.
