Moscow, May 26, 2012
Putin said that the new Serbian president could count on
Moscow's support in the implementation of his
policy.
The two officials met on the margins of the 13th United
Russia Congress in Moscow on Saturday for about 15 minutes
before the press, and then continued the conversation
behind closed doors.
Nikolic thanked Putin for Russia’s support to Serbia on the international scene, especially when it comes to preservation of Kosovo within Serbia.
I assure you that the cooperation between Serbia and Russia will be progressive. I assure you that Serbia is Russia’s partner in the Balkans, he told the Russian president.
Serbia is on the road toward the EU. It’s a long and
uncertain journey. We will organize the country in
accordance with the EU rules, the newly elected Serbian
president said and added that he so far had not heard that
Serbia had to recognize
Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence.
We cannot do it, even if it means we have to stop the
negotiations that very moment, Nikolic stressed.
He also pointed out that Serbia was committed to military
neutrality according the resolution passed by the Serbian
parliament.
Serbia will not join NATO, he said, adding that he spoke openly about that to the citizens of Serbia in the election campaign, and won.
Putin congratulated Nikolic on his victory in the presidential election and wished him to accomplish everything that he promised to the Serbian people.
You can count on the help of Russia, Putin said. The position of Russia is known, said Putin. The Russian President then asked Nikolic to meet his, he said, an unusual request.
I know that Boris Tadic was your opponent in the campaign.
But since I worked with him in previous years, I am asking
you, and it is unusual, to convey to him my greetings and
my best wishes for his future work, Putin said.
Putin and Nikolic then continued the conversation behind
closed doors.
Russia ready to grant Serbia USD 800 million loan
Russia will provide a loan to the amount of 800 million U.S. dollars to Serbia, President Vladimir Putin said after a meeting with Serbian President-elect Tomislav Nicolic on Saturday.
The loan will be provided for the development of the infrastructure.
Russia is ready to implement projects in this field, the Russian president said.
Putin noted that Russia waited for a concrete feasibility study from partners. He urged Nicolic to give a corresponding impetus to newly created executive structures.
