The MEP promised to increase pressure on Serbia for the sake of sanctions against Russia

European Parliament building in Strasbourg. File photoBELGRADE, May 30.Foreign policy pressure on the leadership of Serbia to support Western sanctions against Russia will be increased, Belgrade must choose a side, said MEP Viola von Cramon. Von Cramon is in Belgrade on Monday. She was received by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, with whom the MEP had a conversation behind closed doors. On Monday, EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhei also arrives in the Serbian capital to meet with the head of state. Vučić takes the oath of office in the Assembly (parliament) on Tuesday and enters his second presidential term.Vučić promised to inform citizens if Serbia fails to withstand EU pressure»The European Union is very interested in bringing Serbia closer to the EU, but, of course, it is up to Serbia to decide. We make it clear that our European partners must comply with our European measures, this includes sanctions, and we talked about this,» von Cramon said on the N1 TV channel. «The pressure on this issue will increase. It does not depend on the EU, this is a decision that you yourself must make — which side are you on, does anyone see their own a place in the EU, in the European family. Serbia is definitely a European state, it is in our interests for Serbia to harmonize its policy with the EU,» the MEP stressed. She also called on official Belgrade to reduce its dependence on energy from Russia and spoke in favor of the self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo one day «taking its place in the EU on a par with Serbia.» jpg» />Serbia pays for not imposing sanctions against Russia, Vučić saidOn April 9, the Serbian president thanked Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov for understanding why Serbia voted to suspend Russia's participation in the UN Human Rights Council, and the EU leadership to exclude Belgrade from restrictions on oil supplies. Earlier, the UN General Assembly voted to suspend Russia's participation in the Human Rights Council because of the events in Ukraine. Serbia, among others, supported the resolution. The decision deprived the Russian Federation of the right to vote and the right to speak in the Council. In response, Russia announced that it was terminating its powers in the HRC. In an address to fellow citizens on March 2, the President of Serbia said that the Serbian authorities, in accordance with the decision of the national Security Council, supported 4 of the 13 points of the UN resolution condemning the actions of the Russian Federation in Ukraine — those that do not involve sanctions and the alienation of property of Russian companies in the country. According to him, the crisis in Ukraine is having a dramatic impact on Serbia, which has found itself under enormous foreign policy pressure. spoke about the integrity of Serbia