Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Serbian counterpart Vuk Jeremic will sign an agreement on visa-free one-month travel on Friday.
“It is planned to sign an agreement between the government of both countries on simplified reciprocal trips of citizens who will get a possibility of visa-free travel to each of the countries for up to 30 days,” foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said.
“The ministers will discuss in detail actual issues on the European agenda, including Kosovo problems, and will exchange opinions on other issues,” he added.
“The visit of the Serbian foreign minister is carried out in compliance with the agreement on continued intensive Russian-Serbian contacts on a high political level in order to promote projects in the sphere of bilateral cooperation, coordinate approaches and diplomatic efforts on international problems. The dynamically developing relationship between Russia and Serbia is distinguished by the atmosphere of mutual understanding, by closeness of positions on major problems of international life, by common intention to build up strategic partnership,” Nesterenko said.
He said cooperation was further promoted by energy agreements that include the purchase of a controlling stake in Serbia’s NIS oil company by Russia’s Gazprom, the construction of the Blue Stream pipeline across Serbia and the expansion of the underground gas storage in Banatski Dvor.
Russian-Serbian trade turnover exceeded four billion dollars and Russia remains the main foreign trade partner of Serbia.
“Russian aggregate investments into the Serbian economy comprised some 560-580 million dollars in eight years. More active participation of Russian operators in Serbian privatization projects is being considered,” Nesterenko said.
