The Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin visited the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia today and talked to NARS Speaker Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic and the heads of the NARS parliamentary groups.

In a very pleasant working atmosphere, the NARS Speaker expressed her pleasure at being able to wish the Prime Minister a most heartfelt welcome to the House of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia on the behalf of the NARS deputies, elected representatives of the citizens, and herself. “Greeting you, I greet the entire friendly nation of Russia”, said the Speaker.

“Relations between Russia and Serbia in the political, economic, cultural, security and any other sphere are the example of relations between two friendly countries which respect, value and accept one another as partners, no matter what their size or economic, military or other power. I would like to use this opportunity and again thank the Russian Federation, on the behalf of the NARS and myself, for its principled position as a friendly country and standing UNSC member, regarding the preservation of Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty”, stressed the Speaker.

Djukic-Dejanovic added that Serbia is expending enormous efforts to manage its economic difficulties and the varied economic relations with the Russian Federation help Serbia to a great extent to overcome the crisis as quickly and economically painlessly as possible. “I believe that your visit would lend a new, even stronger impulse to the further development of our two countries’ economic relations, to the benefit of our people”, said the NARS Speaker.

In her address, the Speaker had the particular pleasure to inform the Russian Prime Minister that the cooperation between the NARS and the Russian Duma is very good and that parliamentary cooperation between Serbia and Russia should be improved on all levels, as this kind of inter-state relationship is the one that can further stimulate cooperation in all other fields.

Speaking of Serbia’s pro-European orientation, Putin said: “Serbia’s pro-European orientation does not concern or alarm us, we will follow the process carefully and together strive to prevent it from damaging the relations between our two countries. I think that it is possible and the appropriate ways can be found”.

Putin said that there is no political party in Russia which is not Serbia’s friend, stressing that Russians and Serbs have for centuries shared close relations and there is a national consensus on the matter in Russia.

Addressing the heads of the parliamentary groups at the Serbian Assembly, he said that all political parties in Russia have the same attitude towards Serbia and that he knows of no party which does not share the “warm” regard for Serbia.

The Russian Prime Minister said that his visit to Serbia is successful, stressing that in the last few years the commercial and economic relations, as well as political cooperation between Moscow and Belgrade have improved.

Putin emphasised the importance of parliamentary cooperation between Serbia and Russia saying that cooperation between parliamentary groups and various parliamentary bodies should be expanded in order to formulate joint positions on the international level. He also said that the process enjoys support on the political level in Russia.