Lavrov on NIS sanctions: Russia and Serbia agreed to continue working together to avoid damage

"Today we are facing a situation where those who are used to unfair competitive struggle are trying to hinder our joint venture NIS with sanctions. It is the leading company of the Serbian economy, it is literally being forced to renounce cooperation with the Russian investor, and in this regard we have agreed with our Serbian friends to continue working together in order not to allow damage to our common interests,'' Lavrov said in Moscow, after a meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djurić, who is on a two-day official visit to Russia.

Lavrov stated that he discussed the situation in the field of energy cooperation with Djurić in great detail and pointed out that Russia is the largest supplier of natural gas to Serbia and that it provides up to 85 percent of the demand for this energy source.

"We never deceived anyone, we certainly provided our Serbian friends with that energy source," said Lavrov.

He added that the legal and mutually beneficial cooperation between Serbia and Russia is not liked by certain forces in the West and that these forces are trying to change their position on the market using, as he stated, unfair methods of competitive struggle.

"Essentially, the line that we have already seen in most of the countries of the European Union continues, from where cheap, available and safe Russian gas is pushed out with the aim of replacing it with American liquefied gas at much higher prices. Even the European leaders themselves are starting to speak loudly about it," Lavrov said.