Serbia pins hopes on Turkish StreamBy Vestnik KavkazaSerbia hopes to get Russian gas if the gas pipeline connecting Russia with Turkey via the Black Sea is built, the vice president of the Democratic Party of Serbia, Milan Lapčević said.The Turkish Stream project is being regarded as an alternative to South Stream. The plans for the construction of the latter were abandoned by Russia in December 2014. Lapčević said that Belgrade set high hopes on the South Stream which responded to the economic, political and geo-strategic interests of Serbia. "So that South Stream would be implemented, we began the process of expropriation of land and already started the process of construction. And for us, the news of the project stopping was very sudden, and it was a big disappointment," he said.According to Lapčević, "this example shows that pressure from America and European countries is being directed towards Russia. It is really a desire for Russia to be completely jammed in their framework, so that it stops developing economically, even if it hurts European businesses, the European economy, even if it goes against the interests of buying gas from South Stream. And this pressure on Russia will continue, no doubt."Belgrade is interested in the Turkish Stream as well. "This route through Turkey, Greece and Serbia will also bring gas to Hungary and other countries of southern Europe. Serbia could become an important strategic and energy factor of this project. And the Democratic Party of Serbia is also interested in this.The Democratic Party of Serbia supports Russia. The head of the party, Sanda Raskovic-Ivic, believes that the Democratic Party of Serbia has to become the "backbone of the patriotic bloc" and an alternative government which would find support in Russia. "We are the only party in Serbia which has a committee for cooperation with the Russian Federation... Nowadays we have a lot of pressure to impose sanctions against Russia... I would like to express my concern about the conduct of the authorities, and the possibility that the government would agree to these pressures, yield to this pressure. Nevertheless, we have a patriotic bloc of parties, and the Serbian people, who are unanimously against the imposition of sanctions against Russia. We believe that the imposition of sanctions against Russia would be morally and economically and politically suicidal for Serbia.According to Sanda Raskovic-Ivic, "Crimea is Russian, and Kosovo is Serbian... Russia is ready to defend their right to Crimea by diplomatic means, Serbia, too, must be ready to defend their right by diplomatic means to their cradle in Kosovo and Metohija. Serbia was baptized in Kosovo and Metohija, and Russia was baptized in Crimea, where we are baptized is our homeland... We were very concerned when the South Stream project was closed down. We expect and believe that nevertheless the Russian presence will preserve, that maybe an alternative to South Stream can be found via Turkey, and it will find its place in Serbia."
By Vestnik Kavkaza
Serbia hopes to get Russian gas if the gas pipeline connecting Russia with Turkey via the Black Sea is built, the vice president of the Democratic Party of Serbia, Milan Lapčević said.
The Turkish Stream project is being regarded as an alternative to South Stream. The plans for the construction of the latter were abandoned by Russia in December 2014. Lapčević said that Belgrade set high hopes on the South Stream which responded to the economic, political and geo-strategic interests of Serbia. "So that South Stream would be implemented, we began the process of expropriation of land and already started the process of construction. And for us, the news of the project stopping was very sudden, and it was a big disappointment," he said.
According to Lapčević, "this example shows that pressure from America and European countries is being directed towards Russia. It is really a desire for Russia to be completely jammed in their framework, so that it stops developing economically, even if it hurts European businesses, the European economy, even if it goes against the interests of buying gas from South Stream. And this pressure on Russia will continue, no doubt."
Belgrade is interested in the Turkish Stream as well. "This route through Turkey, Greece and Serbia will also bring gas to Hungary and other countries of southern Europe. Serbia could become an important strategic and energy factor of this project. And the Democratic Party of Serbia is also interested in this.
The Democratic Party of Serbia supports Russia. The head of the party, Sanda Raskovic-Ivic, believes that the Democratic Party of Serbia has to become the "backbone of the patriotic bloc" and an alternative government which would find support in Russia. "We are the only party in Serbia which has a committee for cooperation with the Russian Federation... Nowadays we have a lot of pressure to impose sanctions against Russia... I would like to express my concern about the conduct of the authorities, and the possibility that the government would agree to these pressures, yield to this pressure. Nevertheless, we have a patriotic bloc of parties, and the Serbian people, who are unanimously against the imposition of sanctions against Russia. We believe that the imposition of sanctions against Russia would be morally and economically and politically suicidal for Serbia.
According to Sanda Raskovic-Ivic, "Crimea is Russian, and Kosovo is Serbian... Russia is ready to defend their right to Crimea by diplomatic means, Serbia, too, must be ready to defend their right by diplomatic means to their cradle in Kosovo and Metohija. Serbia was baptized in Kosovo and Metohija, and Russia was baptized in Crimea, where we are baptized is our homeland... We were very concerned when the South Stream project was closed down. We expect and believe that nevertheless the Russian presence will preserve, that maybe an alternative to South Stream can be found via Turkey, and it will find its place in Serbia."
