Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at the talks with President of the National Assembly of Serbia Ivica Dacic Belgrade, December 15, 2020

Mr President,

Dear Ivica,

I would like to congratulate you once again, this time personally, on your appointment to this high position in Serbia and to express confidence that with you in this post our relations will continue developing consistently. We will do our best to promote this.

Despite the restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic, we have carried on our cooperation and dialogue, including at the top level. I would like to confirm that Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko and State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin will be happy to welcome you to Moscow, either within the framework of the next meeting of the interparliametary commission, which you co-chair, or in the capacity of President of the National Assembly of Serbia.

I would like to highlight the importance of our visit to Belgrade, especially in light of the ceremonies held at the at the Cemetery of Belgrade Liberators, where the Eternal Flame has been lit from a capsule brought from the Eternal Flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow, and in the Church of St Sava, where I read out a message from President of Russia Vladimir Putin to President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic and to all participants in the event. We mentioned the late Patriarch Irinej, who was an ardent patriot of his country and a supporter of our friendship, which was tempered in many joint battles.

We will be glad to continue cooperation between the National Assembly of Serbia and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO). You attended the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly meeting held in late November as an observer.

We believe that it is important to promote ties in all spheres without exception. I hope that today’s visit will help strengthen our strategic partnership in accordance with the agreement between President Vladimir Putin and President Aleksandar Vucic.