Belgrade, Mar 27 (IANS): Stressing Serbia - the last "free tribe" of Europe - will continue to follow its independent foreign policy, its President Aleksandar Vucic on Sunday compared the country to the Gaullish village from the iconic comic series "Asterix".

His reference was to his Balkan country's stand on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

"I'm happy that, like in the comic book about Asterix and Obelix, there's one small tribe of Gauls that holds out and protects its freedom on the territory of Europe. And I'm proud that this small tribe is the citizens of Serbia, and our country, which conducts its policy independently and on its own," he said at a campaign rally in the city of Pozarevac, RT reported.

Serbia has faced much pressure from its neighbours and the EU over its neutral stance in the Russia-Ukraine issue, and has refrained from joining in the sanctions.

While the country, which has long historic ties with Russia, has seen massive pro-Russian rallies, Belgrade has announced it will not have any military cooperation with both Moscow and NATO amid the conflict, and Serbs seeking to join the conflict as volunteers on either side will face stern action.