Serbian, Russian presidents hold phone talk on energy, bilateral ties

BELGRADE, Serbia

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Sunday that he had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time in about two and a half years.

According to Vucic, the two leaders discussed bilateral relations, adding that he thanked Putin "for making sure that Serbia has enough gas this winter."

"Dear citizens of Serbia, I just finished a conversation with the President of Russia Vladimir Putin. We had not spoken for almost two and a half years. We had a good, open, long, and meaningful conversation," Vucic said in a post on Instagram.

He added that they also talked about important political issues, on which he said he would elaborate further in a live broadcast Monday by hte state-run Radio Television of Serbia.

"I especially thanked President Putin for making sure that Serbia has sufficient quantities of gas this winter, at very favorable prices. What was left from the previous periods to be paid, we both expressed the hope that in the next period it will be resolved through solutions of compromise," said Vucic.

Vucic added that he expressed his gratitude to Russia for supporting the integrity and territorial sovereignty of Serbia at the UN.

In a later statement, the Kremlin said both Putin and Vucic expressed their satisfaction with the level of bilateral relations, adding that they confirmed their intention to further strengthen cooperation in a different areas.

Serbia agreed on a new three-year gas supply contract with in 2022, when an earlier 10-year agreement with Russian energy giant Gazprom expired.

The deal came after Vucic held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which was the last time they had conversed.

Serbia is predominantly dependent on Russian gas and oil. Belgrade's 10-year gas supply contract with Russian energy giant Gazprom was supposed to expire on May 31, 2022.

Belgrade has come under criticism for remaining neutral in Russia's war on Ukraine and refusing to impose sanctions on Moscow.

As the Russia-Ukraine war dominates the regional discourse, Vucic reaffirmed that Serbia "is on the European path" and that this was the country's "only policy."

Facing incessant pressure from the West to impose sanctions on Moscow, the Serbian president urged the international community to understand Belgrade’s concerns.

* Burc Eruygur contributed to this story from Istanbul