It doesn't happen often: EU criticises Serbia for co-operation with Russia

This Brussels response follows a meeting between Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Volin, with Kremlin officials in Moscow and claims for intelligence co-operation with Russia.

“The EU has been clear to our partners: reports with Russia cannot be normal after Russia's unprotested and untested fight against Ukraine”, the European bloc said in an answer sent to Radio Free Europe on 15 August.

The EU also said that “wanted all candidate states to be considered reliable European partners with common principles, values, security and prosperity”.

Volin, according to the Government of Serbia's announcement, has thanked Russian security structures for “warning about planning mass unrest and a coup attempt” in Serbia.

With Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Moscow, Voulin discussed the “active participation of foreign forces in artificially stimulating tensions”.

The Serbian government described the protest against the lithium mine as “coup attempt”. In recent weeks, tens of thousands of people have protested in Belgrade and other Serbian cities.

Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, has accused Western states of staying behind the protests.

On 11 August, prior to the protest in Belgrade, Vuciq also stated that warnings from Russian services said mass unrest is being planned in Serbia, with the main aim of coup and the collapse of state leadership”.

This protest went through without major incidents. /rel