Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said in Beijing at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Serbia, despite great pressure, will strive to remain the only country in Europe that has not imposed sanctions on Moscow.
“Serbia has been under great pressure since the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis. We are in a very difficult situation, but we are managing to maintain a principled position not to impose sanctions on Russia. We will strive to remain the only country in Europe that has not imposed sanctions on Russia,” Vučić said.
He added that cooperation at the highest level with Russia in all areas, especially in energy, is very important for Serbia.
“I hope that we will have the opportunity not only to preserve, but also to improve cooperation in some aspects. Energy is very important for us, especially gas supplies,” Vučić said.
Putin said that Russia respects Serbia’s independent orientation under Vučić’s leadership.
“Our strategic partnership is mutually beneficial and brings positive results for both Russia and Serbia,” Putin said, announcing that another session of the Joint Committee for Trade, Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation between the two countries will be held by the end of the year.
He also said that he is “glad that today I can also talk about regional issues”.
After the introductory speeches, Vučić and Putin continued their conversation behind closed doors.
Photo: archive
