On February 17, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Mikhail Djuric will pay a working visit to the Russian Federation. He is scheduled to hold talks with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov. It is planned to discuss key issues of further development of Russian-Serbian cooperation, the implementation of joint initiatives, trade and economic cooperation, and exchange views on topical issues on the regional, European and global agenda.
Russian-Serbian relations are based on cultural and historical commonality, closeness of approaches on international issues, and a mutual commitment to close, multifaceted work. Despite the difficult international situation, a rhythmic political dialogue is maintained between the countries. On October 20, 2024 and December 23, 2024, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov had telephone conversations with President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic. On September 4, 2024, Vladimir Putin received Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia Alexander Vulin on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. There are contacts between parliaments, industry departments, and regions.
In recent years, the interaction of the two states has been obstructed by the “collective West”, which is trying to pull Serbia into its orbit of influence and torpedo ties with Russia. Since the beginning of the sanctions pressure on our country, Belgrade has not joined any practical decision of the United States or the EU. This confirms the commitment of the Serbian partners to a strategic dialogue with Russia based on mutual respect and mutual consideration of interests.
Serbia’s balanced position on foreign policy issues irritates the West, which has resorted to methods of open blackmail in order to achieve its selfish goals. The new round of US sanctions against domestic economic operators, announced in January this year, directly affects the locomotive of the Serbian economy, the company Oil Industry of Serbia JSC (NIS), part of Gazpromneft PJSC. The United States is literally squeezing a Russian investor out of the country, threatening the Serbs by disconnecting them from the Croatian oil pipeline infrastructure, the main source of crude oil. Possible ways out of the situation are being discussed in the framework of bilateral consultations.
Despite the difficulties, NIS JSC continues to operate normally, remaining the guarantor of Serbia’s energy security, one of the largest employers (11 thousand people, and taking into account the “related parties” – another 40 thousand people) and taxpayers – the share of tax revenues from the company’s activities is about 13% of total tax revenues to the budget The country’s total tax deductions have exceeded 12 billion euros since 2009.
A significant contribution to the development of the Serbian economy is being made by the railway reconstruction program, implemented with the leading role of Russian Railways International LLC at the expense of a Russian export loan. The agenda in the field of healthcare and innovation is getting saturated, including through the Rosatom State Corporation. The domestic IT giant Yandex has been successfully operating in the country since 2022. There is a groundwork for building up joint work in preparation for the specialized exhibition EXPO-2027 in Belgrade. The solid regulatory and legal framework created over the years of fruitful work makes it possible to effectively unleash the full potential of Russian-Serbian relations.
Efforts to strengthen economic ties are underway within the framework of the Russian-Serbian Intergovernmental Committee on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, which is headed by Mikhail Reshetnikov, Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, and Nikolai Popovich, Minister without Portfolio in the Government of the Republic of Serbia. The next (20th) meeting of the IPC was held in St. Petersburg.‑St. Petersburg, October 20-21, 2024.
In light of the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory over Fascism in the Great Patriotic War, we note the careful attitude of the Serbian partners towards the common historical heritage and the memory of the peoples who died in the struggle for freedom of our countries and the European continent. President Aleksandar Vucic is planning to attend the solemn events in Moscow on May 9, 2025.
On October 20, 2024, a delegation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation visited the capital of Serbia on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade from the Nazi invaders. We are coordinating steps to counter attempts to falsify history and substitute historical truth.
The approaches of Russia and Serbia to topical issues on the international agenda generally coincide, despite the powerful pressure on Belgrade from the West, which tried to incline it to an anti-Russian line. During the last 79th session of the UN General Assembly, Serbia traditionally supported a number of Russian initiatives and co-authored important documents, including a resolution on combating the glorification of Nazism. Russian-Serbian multilateral cooperation is based on a commitment to strengthening the legal and democratic principles of international life and building interstate communication on the solid foundation of the UN Charter.
Russia’s position on the Kosovo settlement is well known and is not subject to conjuncture. Moscow stands for Belgrade and Pristina to reach a viable and mutually acceptable solution to Kosovo based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which must comply with international law and receive the approval of the UN Security Council. Russia will continue to support its Serbian partners in upholding their legitimate interests both bilaterally and in international structures.
Traditionally, culture occupies a prominent place in bilateral relations. The V Russian-Serbian Cultural Forum was held in Belgrade in 2024, and the Hermitage Days will be held in the Serbian capital again in 2025. The agenda in the fields of museum and library cooperation, cinematography and performing arts is actively expanding. Russia Today TV channel is broadcast in the country with an audience of over 1.5 million viewers. In December 2024, a new RT Balkan TV channel was launched with a broadcast in Serbian. Serbia is the only European country that takes a principled, friendly position towards our country regarding the attempts of the West to abolish the culture of Russia.
Close contacts are maintained between the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches (SOC), including between the primates. The SEC consistently supports the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church and publicly criticizes Kiev for violations of the rights of parishioners and clergy of the UOC.
The Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Center (RSHC) in Nis is successfully operating. Since 2012, it has proven its effectiveness and relevance in dealing with the consequences of natural disasters and emergencies. A new training ground with Russian equipment is being completed at the Center with the participation of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. This work is being carried out in the context of the task of turning the RSGTS into a unique regional platform for training specialists in the field of civil defense and emergency situations.
