Visiting Serbian Politicians Call for Belgrade to Invest in Crimea

The leader of Serbia's Dveri non-parliamentary movement, Bosco Obradovic said that the clearest impression from the visit to Crimea was "how normal the social situation in Crimea is, despite the Western media reports."

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Serbian companies should invest in Crimean business projects, the leader of the Dveri non-parliamentary movement said Friday.

Serbian politicians from the Patriotic Bloc, comprising the Democratic Party and members of the Dveri opposition movement, have just returned from a three-day visit to Crimea.

"At a meeting with the Crimean authorities, we expressed the wish that the Serbian companies participate in investment in Crimea," Bosco Obradovic told reporters at a press conference in Moscow.

The clearest impression from the visit was "how normal the social situation in Crimea is, despite the Western media reports," he stated.

Shortly after their visit began, the Ukrainian Embassy in Serbia handed the politicians a protest note over their presence on the Black Sea peninsula.

Commenting on the protest note sent by the Ukrainian ambassador to Serbia, Obradovic stated that being considered a friend of Russia was an honor to the Serbian delegation.

Crimea adopted a declaration of independence from Ukraine on March 11, 2014. Five days later, some 96 percent of Crimean voters chose to rejoin Russia in a referendum.

The West has refused to recognize the results of the vote and imposed an economic embargo against Crimea in 2014, which included a ban on economic investment and restrictive financial and travel measures targeting Crimean individuals and companies.

The sanctions were extended in June 2015.