President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Lajen she canceled her meeting with the Prime Minister of Serbia on Friday Miloš Vucevic, which was planned as part of Von der Leyen's visit to Serbia, confirmed EC spokesman Eric Mamer.
The reason for the cancellation of the meeting is the meeting between Vučević and the Minister of Economic Development of Russia Maksim Reshetnikov, writes Radio Free Europe.
Von der Leyen arrived in Belgrade as part of a four-day tour of the Western Balkans, and on Friday she met with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, with whom she discussed Serbia's European path.
According to a Brussels official, the statement issued after the meeting between Vučević and Rešetnjikov, which talks about the further strengthening of Serbia's economic and overall cooperation with Russia, was reason enough for the President of the European Commission to "immediately decide" to cancel the meeting with the Prime Minister of Serbia.
New momentum in relations between Serbia and Russia
After the meeting between Vučević and Rešetnjikov, the Government of Serbia sent a press release stating that the visit of the Russian delegation is taking place during the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade in World War II and the victory won by the joint forces of the Yugoslav and Russian armies.
In the press release, he stated that Vučević said that the recent conversation between the presidents of the two countries, Aleksandar Vučić and Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, represents a new momentum for the overall bilateral relations between the Republic of Serbia and the Russian Federation.
Vučević emphasized that the agreement from St. Petersburg on the additional supply of gas during the winter season is of great importance for Serbia, stating that the security of energy supply is extremely important for Serbia.
Vučević also thanked Rešetnikov for the invitation of the Russian Federation for Serbia's participation in the BRICS summit, where Serbia was represented by the Vice-President of the Government of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vulin and ministers in the Government of Serbia.
Speaking about the sanctions against the Russian Federation, Vučević pointed out that, despite great pressures, Serbia leads a free and independent policy, which is its advantage, because it has good cooperation both with the Russian Federation and with the European Union, China and other countries.
Source: Radio Free Europe