Serbia's leader defends right to buy weapons where he wants

Serbia's president says his country will continue arming itself with Russian, Chinese and other weapons despite fears that the Balkan country’s recent military buildup could lead to more tensions in the region

BELGRADE, Serbia -- Serbia will continue arming itself with Russian, Chinese and other weapons, its president said Tuesday, despite fears in the region and the West that the Balkan country's recent military buildup could lead to more tensions in part of Europe which is still reeling from wars fought in the 1990s.

Opening an arms fair that coincided with a two-day summit marking the 60th anniversary of the first conference of non-aligned nations, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Serbia was a “free and independent nation” that would not seek outside opinions about where it sources weapons.

“If anyone thinks that we should ask the U.S. or the EU to decide about our weapons, let’s abolish our state,” Vucic said at the arms fair taking place at the same time as the summit commemorating the 1961 conference in Serbia's capital, Belgrade.

Serbia is widely blamed for triggering a bloody breakup of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s with its nationalist policies. The country lately has armed itself mostly with Russian and Chinese warplanes, drones and anti-aircraft systems.