Serbia's OSCE chairmanship next year will be "a great opportunity to take on a role and mediate in negotiations in order to smooth EU-Russia relations."

 "Serbia must use the opportunity so that an easy solution is found, so that NATO would not have to become involved in it," the Belgrade-based daily Danas is quoting Dušan Siđanski, a special adviser to the president of the European Commission, who was in Serbia for the Belgrade Security Forum.

According to the newspaper, he added that it was "a big mistake" when Europe imposed sanctions on Russia - "because they represent sanctions on Europeans themselves, as well."

"Take as an example if we had the kind of relationship where I sell to you, you sell to me, and you're my big partner.. And when I introduce sanctions against you, these sanctions are actually directed against me, as we now see in France and various other countries. For this reason Turkey now enjoys in this situation because instead of Europe, it is exporting to Russia. Other countries also. Argentina probably when it comes to meat, which Russia bought from Poland. These are sanctions against Europeans, while they do not reflect on Americans - which encourage them," added Siđanski, who will be leaving his post of adviser to the EC president in a month.

Asked whether Serbia can expect problems and delays at the road to the EU because it has not joined the sanctions, he said:

"Of course there will be discussions about it, and Serbia should explain that it would have a major problem if it did. Serbia is currently not a member of the EU to have to impose sanctions on Russia, and it seems to me that even three members did not want to do that. I think it's about Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. I do not think that Serbia will have big problems, but that will still depend on how it will be explained to representatives of European institutions. It needs to be said that the Serbian economy would be destroyed."

Šiđanski noted that he thought "Europe will understand," and that it "already punished itself with these sanctions."

As the main argument against sanctions Serbia is citing energy dependency, the newspaper said, and added that Siđanski, when asked, said this "made sense."

"It does indeed. Many European countries depend on it . Bulgaria depends 90 percent on Russia, as well as Romania, the Baltic countries. Germany also imports nearly 40 percent of gas from Russia. One cannot, therefore, go quite so far."

Asked whether "Europe, if the connection with Russia is lost, has a way to make it up to member-states," he responded by saying that "Europe will not lose the connection."

"The EU will to start talks with Russia as soon as possible, this already started in Minsk, in order to resolve this situation."

Šiđanski added that he sees Serbia as " the first next member of the EU."

"I do not like what everyone says it will be in five years. I think that the negotiations may last shorter or longer. It cannot be assessed. Croatia negotiated for a long time, so you never know. There is no need for the Serbian prime minister nor anyone else quote (dates) on it."

Asked "to what extent the holding of the Pride Parade in Belgrade will positively affect the EU report on Serbia," he said:

"It will certainly be a positive impact. After all it is a sign that Serbia is a free country, in spite of differing opinions."

Asked about "the main problem the country has to solve now because of EU integration," he said it was "independent courts, and corruption."

When the interviewer remarked that "it seems that Kosovo is no longer among the priorities for the European road of Serbia," Šiđanski said, "It is not. I think that, therefore, there will be more flexibility. After all, the situation around Kosovo is not yet a clear thing, and it is costly for Europe. To maintain courts in Kosovo, EULEX, and the like, all that is quite expensive."