After the 16th BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, The minister in-charge of international economic cooperation in the Serbian government Nenad Popovic launched a sharp comment on NATO, asserting that Serbia will never join the alliance. He highlighted the lasting scars from the catastrophic bombings of 1999 and emphasized the country’s commitment to an independent foreign policy. Popovic’s remarks reflect Serbia’s growing ties with BRICS nations and a clear rejection of NATO’s influence.
According to the report from Human Rights Watch about the NATO bombing campaign against Yugoslavia in the 1999 Kosovo War is filled with thorough bloody evidence that points to NATO committing war crimes, albeit indirectly acknowledging this through the violation findings in international humanitarian law. The HRW report lists several NATO forces strikes killing innocent civilians or using cluster munitions directly targeting villages and towns.
Nenad Popovic recalled that 25 years ago, the people of Serbia became victims of NATO bombings, and the whole city of Belgrade was destroyed. “And after that, I also assure you, Serbia will never be a member of NATO,” and “Serbia is pursuing an independent, free policy. Serbia is a democratic country where the leadership headed by President Aleksandar Vucic is considering the interests of the Serbian people.” Popovic further added, “I can say the Russian capital in Serbia will be protected because this is our policy. This is the international law and we observe the international law,” Nenad Popovic said according to Azerbaijan’s APA.
Popovic also noted that, despite European integration, Serbia “does not want to stop developing bilateral relations with the BRICS countries: China, Russia, South Africa, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and others.”
