MOSCOW, October 19. /TASS/: Russia is ready to develop relations with all Balkan states if they demonstrate political will to do so, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with Serbia's "Evening News" newspaper ahead of the official visit.
"Of course we follow all sorts of signals. Russia is obliged to follow the signals from different countries. You have said it accurately - at some point, the contacts have become complicated. But we are ready for the development of relations," Medvedev said.
He noted that the question is not about the past, but the aspirations, priorities of today. "If the authorities of the mentioned countries or some other countries want to develop relations with Russia on the basis of equal cooperation, keeping in mind both common history and everything else, we are ready for this, but it requires true intentions. Moreover, intentions that are manifested from political will, formed in the state itself, and not imposed from outside. In other words, this should be a manifestation of the sovereignty of these countries. If they want to develop relations, we are ready for it," Medvedev said.
According to Prime Minister, Russia has always taken a balanced position. "We want to be friends with all countries, and, of course, we have normal relations with the Balkans states, regardless if they belong to a particular military-political bloc. We are trying to develop these relations," he noted. Speaking about Serbia, Medvedev said that Moscow appreciated and will continue to appreciate that Belgrade "took a very balanced position at a time when the European Union, the United States introduced sanctions against the Russian Federation.".
