The Kremlin praised former Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic after his loss in the early parliamentary elections held on October 25. Moscow said that it expects the new government in Belgrade to continue cooperation with Russia.
“We highly appreciate the contribution that Mr. Vucic made to the development of our bilateral relations“, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. He added that Moscow is aware of Vucic's intention to remain active in politics and expressed hope that he will continue to contribute to Russian-Serbian relations as an opposition politician.
Peskov also said that Russia expects the new government in Serbia to be “constructively focused“ on the further development of relations between the two countries. According to him, the new political forces must understand that cooperation with Moscow is in Serbia's interest.
Russia has traditionally been a key supplier of energy resources to Serbia. The question of future relations with Moscow remains part of the broader political choice facing Belgrade, which simultaneously maintains ties with Russia and strives for European integration.
„For our part, we intend to continue to do everything possible to promote the development of our relations with Belgrade. But, as you know, it takes two to tango“, Peskov added.
The Kremlin's statement outlines Moscow's expectation that the change of power will not automatically lead to a break in traditional political and energy ties between Russia and Serbia. The specific position of the new Serbian government will become clear with the formation of power after the elections.
Sources: news.bg