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World

AP Interview: Serbian minister says good ties with Russia are not harming OSCE chairmanship

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    Ivica Dacic, Serbia's Foreign Minister and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Chairperson-in-office for 2015 , listens questions during an interview with The Associated Press, in Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, March 13, 2015. Dacic told The Associated Press in an interview Friday that Serbia's relations with Slavic ally Russia "most certainly are not a handicap" when it comes to remaining unbiased in the Ukrainian crisis. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) (The Associated Press)

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    Serbia's Foreign Minister and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Chairperson-in-office for 2015 Ivica Dacic speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, March 13, 2015. Dacic told The Associated Press in an interview Friday that Serbia's relations with Slavic ally Russia "most certainly are not a handicap" when it comes to remaining unbiased in the Ukrainian crisis. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) (The Associated Press)

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    Ivica Dacic , Serbia's Foreign Minister and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Chairperson-in-office for 2015 , speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, March 13, 2015. Dacic told The Associated Press in an interview Friday that Serbia's relations with Slavic ally Russia "most certainly are not a handicap" when it comes to remaining unbiased in the Ukrainian crisis. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) (The Associated Press)

BELGRADE, Serbia – Serbia's Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic says his country's close ties with Russia are not hampering Belgrade's chairmanship over the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe which has a key monitoring role in Ukraine.

Dacic told The Associated Press in an interview Friday that Serbia's close-knit relationship with Slavic ally Russia "most certainly is not a handicap" when it comes to remaining unbiased in the Ukrainian crisis.

Dacic said "even the Ukrainian foreign minister told me ... they see it as an advantage if it is used for de-escalation" of hostilities.

Serbia took over the OSCE chairmanship in January amid some concern in the West because of Belgrade's refusal to impose Western-backed sanctions against Moscow over its role in Ukraine.