Moscow (TDI): Serbia’s foreign minister, Marko Djuric, met in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov today. Djuric said that Serbia and Russia have a long history of friendly relations and that he believes these ties will grow stronger shortly.
Russia and Serbia wish to enhance their bilateral relations in trade, economics, humanitarian efforts, and cultural exchanges. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated this during the start of negotiations with Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric.
Đurić, at a press conference after the talks with the head of the Russian diplomacy, said he is proud to represent a free and independent country that strives to contribute to regional stability.
Министар спољних послова Србије @markodjuric састао се данас у Москви са министром иностраних послова Руске Федерације Сергејем Лавровом и том приликом истакао да ће традиционално пријатељски односи две земље у наредном периоду остварити свој пун потенцијал и капацитет.
Ђурић… pic.twitter.com/lAkvQdfX8a
— MFA Serbia (@MFASerbia) February 17, 2025
On the other hand, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said,
“We have confirmed our commitment to developing relations in other areas as well. In particular, we will open new areas of work in health care, innovation, and high technology. In all these areas, a solid regulatory framework has been created in recent years.”
🔴 #LIVE: Joint news conference by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister of Serbia Marko Djuric following bilateral talks in Moscow https://t.co/JjZYXzydMd
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) February 17, 2025
“We have confirmed our readiness to deepen cooperation, including considering Serbia’s large-scale plans to update transport and other infrastructure in connection with the specialized EXPO exhibition that Belgrade will host in 2027,” he added.
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Lavrov highlighted that Moscow and Belgrade will continue collaborating on a joint oil venture, asserting they will not allow Western influences to undermine their interests. He also mentioned that Russia is the largest supplier of natural gas to Serbia, fulfilling up to 85% of the country’s natural gas needs.
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Lavrov remarked that certain factions in the West are opposed to this mutually beneficial cooperation.
“Today, we are confronted with a situation where those accustomed to unfair competition are trying to undermine our joint Russian-Serbian company, as well as the Serbian oil industry, through restrictive measures. This industry is a cornerstone of the Serbian economy and is being pressured to refuse cooperation with a Russian investor.”
In this regard, we have agreed with our Serbian friends to continue working together to prevent damaging our shared interests,” Lavrov noted.
He said the West is still trying to change the market through unfair competition. For example, the European Union is trying to eliminate cheap and reliable Russian gas and replace it with American liquefied natural gas, which costs much more.
Lavrov noted that cooperation between Russia and Serbia in the energy sector will continue and added that new work areas will be opened, especially in Serbia.
Areeba Kanwal is a contributor at The Diplomatic Insight and has passion for International Relations and diplomacy.
