Đurić in Moscow stated that Serbia will not forget nor neglect its traditional friendships

At a press conference following discussions with his Russian counterpart, Minister Đurić expressed pride in representing a free and independent nation committed to contributing to regional stability.

"Serbia is on its European path. However, Serbia will not forget or neglect its traditional friendships, and we will continue to foster and develop constructive relations with the Russian Federation and other partners and friends in the international community," Minister Đurić stated.

Đurić highlighted that Serbia's foreign policy is determined by the will of its citizens, and as long as Serbia's foreign policy decisions involve President Aleksandar Vučić and his team, it will remain so.

Reflecting on the numerous external and internal pressures Serbia has faced, Đurić thanked his hosts for supporting the preservation of stability in our country, which is vital for Serbia's ability to conduct an independent and autonomous policy.

"I can only convey to both domestic and international audiences that Serbia will continue with such an independent and libertarian course in the future," emphasized the head of Serbian diplomacy.

"The people of Serbia desire a free and independent country. For this reason, we are grateful to our Russian friends, especially for their support regarding Kosovo and Metohija and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia," Đurić underscored.

According to his remarks, today marks 17 years since international law was violated in the case of Serbia, with the illegal, unilateral declaration of independence of so-called Kosovo in Kosovo and Metohija.

"This was done contrary to international law, contrary to Resolution 1244, against the will of the majority of Serbian citizens, who were never consulted in a referendum, and even in Kosovo and Metohija, there has been no expression of opinion on this matter to this day," Đurić noted.

He mentioned that in the previous period, over the past few years, we have seen an erosion of human rights and democratic standards in our southern province.

Reiterating that Serbia is grateful for Russia's firm and principled stance on Kosovo and Metohija, Đurić expressed hope that in the coming period, tectonic changes in the international community will create greater space to address this issue in accordance with international law and in a civilized manner.

Đurić also discussed cooperation in the field of energy with his Russian counterpart, noting that it is extremely important for Serbia to be able to count on the support of Russian friends when it comes to reliable supplies of natural gas and other energy resources.

Đurić emphasized that Serbia does not want its citizens to be collateral damage of any sanctions, as was the case during the 1990s.

"In today's era, we do not want to allow such a thing to happen again, and we consider it most important that the citizens of Serbia do not suffer because of the consequences of sanctions against NIS," concluded the head of Serbian diplomacy.

Đurić particularly highlighted that Serbia advocates for the peaceful resolution of all conflicts in the international community and reminded that President Vučić has publicly offered Serbia's readiness to host discussions related to overcoming the crisis in Ukraine, and we hope that we will soon be in a situation in Europe where we can see peace.

"In the coming period, there will certainly be discussions with Russian leadership at the highest level about energy issues, but we do not miss the opportunity to offer Belgrade as a location for any kind of talks," Đurić said, adding that every day that brings us closer to peace represents a positive value for Serbia, and in that sense, our efforts have only such a goal.

Finally, Minister Đurić reflected on the shared history of the Serbian and Russian people, who at many moments in the past fought together against the same enemy for the freedom of their homeland.

"We remember World War II and the great victory that we will jointly commemorate this year with the visit of President Vučić and participation in the solemn parade at Red Square in Moscow, where we will appropriately honor those Soviet, Russian, and Serbian soldiers who made a key contribution in ensuring that not only Serbia but all of Europe, be free," emphasized Đurić.

Following the meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov, stated that Russia appreciates Serbia's balanced and sovereign policy and that this is the basis for the development of bilateral relations in the future.

Lavrov emphasized the importance of continuing to enhance bilateral economic cooperation, as well as collaboration in the fields of science, medicine, energy, infrastructure, innovation, and high technology.

Reminding that Russia is Serbia's main supplier of natural gas, Lavrov noted that some in the West are displeased with the energy cooperation between Serbia and Russia and that there are attempts to change the situation in that area through unfair and non-market methods.

Regarding the Oil Industry of Serbia, Lavrov warned that there are also attempts to disrupt the operations of this Serbian-Russian enterprise through sanctions.

"In this regard, we have agreed with our Serbian friends to continue our joint efforts to prevent damage to our mutual interests," said the head of Russian diplomacy.

Minister Lavrov highlighted that Russia will continue to support Serbia in international organizations regarding Kosovo and Metohija, primarily to ensure the relevance of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 is maintained.

The head of Russian diplomacy supported the efforts of Serbia's leadership to prevent the destabilization of the state, condemning the practice of foreign interference in the internal affairs of sovereign countries.

In response to a journalist's question about whether Russia will participate in the specialized Expo 2027 in Belgrade, Lavrov stated that the Russian side had received an invitation to participate and expects that the hosts will keep their promise and provide the best location for Russian exhibitors.

Lavrov added that one of the topics of today's discussion was also the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the victory in World War II, noting that President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić has confirmed his attendance at the celebration in May.