Serbia sacks economy minister who called for sanctions against Russia

Serbian parliamentarians by a majority vote fired Economy Minister Rade Basta, who had previously called on the country’s authorities to join the sanctions against Russia. This information is reported by Tanjug agency.

149 deputies voted for the resignation of the minister, while 45 abstained from voting.

Basta’s dismissal proposal was submitted to the Serbian Parliament by Prime Minister Ana Brnabic. This decision was made after a request from the chairman of the Socialist Party, Ivica Dacic, and the leader of the United Serbia party, Dragan Markovic Palma.

Rade Basta has been calling on the Serbian government to impose sanctions against Russia in recent months, which contradicted the official position of the Serbian government. At the same time, the head of the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the country could impose sanctions against the Russian Federation if it would be in their interests.