BELGRADE, June 4. /TASS/: Russia has been and will remain Serbia’s friend, these ties will not be damaged, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Thursday, answering a question about the change of leadership of Russia’s Rossotrudnichestvo, federal agency overseeing promotion of the Russian culture overseas.
"Russia has its own independent government, own president who has immense influence and authority, they care after their interests and act in accordance with them. We do not oppose anyone or anything, it is their decision, whether [Primakov will become Rossotrudnichestvo’s head] or not I do not know. I saw the reaction of the Russian ambassador and thank him for his propriety. Russia is a friendly country for us, this is how it has been and will be, no irresponsible politician in Serbia or anybody else will change that," the president answered a reporter’s question.
Earlier, Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko demanded apologies from Serbia’s Blic daily for publishing an article entitled ‘Putin appoints Primakov to drive a wedge between Serbia and the EU’ containing accusations against Rossotrudnichestvo. The Russian diplomat slammed the number of claims made in the article as not fitting the principles of fair journalism and slanderous. Botsan-Kharchenko reminded the newspaper’s editor-in-chief about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s remarks that Russia respects the Serbian leadership’s chosen policy of joining the EU and pointed out that the two presidents had a phone call on May 14 to announce further development of strategic partnership between Russia and Serbia.
The Russian envoy blasted the article as casting a shadow on the bilateral ties and demanded a rebuttal with apologies.
Earlier, Rossotrudnichestvo head Eleonora Mitrofanova announced her transfer to the Russian foreign ministry to work as ambassador at large. Talking to TASS, she noted that member of parliament Evgeny Primakov is likely to be appointed as new head of the agency.
Primakov is heading the Russian Humanitarian Mission non-profit organization that has long operated in Serbia. The mission is established for humanitarian, human rights and charity purposes and has been transferring Russian doctors to Serbia’s mountainous villages in the past few years to provide medical care to locals, building roads in small villages, donating medical vehicles to village hospitals and other vital charity activities.
