Serbia surprisingly joins EU in condemnation of Belarus vote

In a surprise move, Serbia has joined European Union in its rejection of election results in Belarus and criticism of a crackdown against those protesting against country’s longtime autocratic leer.

Serbia’s prime minister, Ana Brnabic, said Thursday that Belgre signed up with EU resolution on Belarus in order to align Balkan country’s policies with those of bloc it formally wants to join.

Belgre has h close relations with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, who last visited Balkan country in December. He was only world leer who visited Serbia during 1999 NATO bombing of country over its crackdown against ethnic Albanian separatists, which was seen as his support of Serbia’s former strongman, Slobodan Milosevic.

“I hope Lukashenko won’t hold it against us,” Brnabic said while mitting for first time that Serbia accepted EU stance on Belarus' elections. “We should t forget friendship Lukashenko has shown to our people during difficult times.”

Last month, European Union leers said y stand beside people protesting for democratic rights in Belarus , rejecting election results that swept country’s leer of 26 years back into power and warned y are preparing a long list of Belarusians who face sanctions over vote fraud and a brutal crackdown on protesters.

Serbia’s acceptance of EU criticism of Belarus leer was first revealed Wednesday in tweets by EU and US ambassors to Belgre who hailed move.

“I welcome Serbia for joining EU Declaration on Presidential Elections in Belarus,” EU Ambassor Sam Fabrizi wrote on Twitter.

U.S. ambassor to Serbia, Anthony Godfrey, also praised Belgre’s decision. “It is great to see that Serbia stands by its European environment,” he wrote on Twitter.

Serbian populist President Aleksandar Vucic has also faced criticism from home and abro for curtailing media freedoms, holding elections that opposition claims are t free and fair and cracking down on anti-government demonstrators.

Although formally seeking EU membership, Serbia has been strengning political, ecomic and military ties with Russia and China. It has refused to join EU sanctions against Russia for its policies over Ukraine.