Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic that he highly appreciated his decision to come to Moscow for the celebrations of the anniversary of the victory over fascism, despite attempts to dissuade him. At their meeting yesterday in the Russian capital, Putin and Vucic discussed boosting bilateral trade, and the Serbian president stressed that natural gas supplies are a vital issue for Serbia, regional television En1 reported, quoted by BTA.
Alexander Vucic was among the foreign leaders who attended the military parade on Red Square on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Foreign guests also included Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Vucic met yesterday with the Chinese president and his host Vladimir Putin.
Vucic thanked Putin for his immense support for Serbia's territorial integrity and sovereignty, saying that cooperation between the two countries should be expanded and strengthened even further in all sectors, En1 reported.
“As you know, gas supplies are a matter of vital importance for us. Our long-term contract includes very favorable conditions, for which we are grateful. "We hope that we can maintain these conditions or even improve them, if I may put it that way," Aleksandar Vucic said during the meeting in the Kremlin, En1 reports.
At the end of last year, Serbian Minister without Portfolio, responsible for international economic cooperation, Nenad Popovic, said that Serbia hopes to sign a new gas agreement with Russia in 2025. under the same conditions.
At the meeting with Vučić, Vladimir Putin noted that bilateral trade data are currently below optimal levels and stressed the need to reverse the trend and improve economic exchange.
The Russian President emphasized the importance of cooperation in the energy sector.
“A key element in our trade and economic cooperation is energy, and Russia remains the guarantor of Serbia's energy security, providing about 85 percent of its energy needs. Natural gas is supplied through the “Turkish Stream“ gas pipeline. In addition, “Gazprom“ is not only a reliable supplier, but also responds to the requests of our Serbian friends, providing additional volumes beyond those provided for in the contracts. "This provides a solid foundation for Serbia's economic activity," the Russian president said, quoted by En1.
Putin said that Russia highly appreciates the fact that, despite logistical problems and attempts to dissuade him from coming to Moscow, the Serbian president attended the parade marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over fascism in World War II.
Vucic added that Putin has made an exceptional contribution to the development of bilateral relations between the two countries, En1 also reported.