Russian Ambassador in Belgrade Aleksandr Konuzin left the Belgrade Security Forum in protest because of his dissatisfaction with the course of the debate.

The ambassador departed from the Forum after he was invited to finish the speech in which he criticised other participants because nobody at the panel on global security brought up the issue of deployment of Kosovo customs officers on crossings Brnjak and Jarinje, which will be discussed by the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday.

He said that he is confused because the NATO, KFOR and EULEX intend to bring Kosovo customs officers and thus violate their mandate, Resolution 1244 and the UNSC decision from 2008, and nobody among the panel participants posed a single question about this. Konuzin asked whether there are any Serbs in the audience and whether they care about the fate of their compatriots at all.

Recalling that the UNSC would discuss this issue in a few hours, Konuzin said that Russia would defend Serbia's interests together with the Serbian foreign minister.

NATO and EU members will oppose Serbia's national interests, the ambassador said and added that he is under the impression that Serbian officials could not care less about this.

Konuzin reflected on the criticism voiced during the debate according to which Russia always acts in keeping with its own interests, and asked what were the interests of Russian volunteers who came to fight together with Serbia. He also said that

Russia has its own interests, just like everyone else.

We are investing in Serbia although some Serbs want to place the country under control, Konuzin said and added that Russia has its interests but they coincide with Serbia's.

Panel moderator Ivan Vejovda interrupted Konuzin's monologue, and after a short argument, the Russian ambassador turned to the audience and asked if he can continue his speech.

After the audience refused to listen, the ambassador left the hall in protest.