President Vucic reveals when he expects new gas arrangement with Russia: "Putin will be fair to Serbia"

File photo: Tanjug/Serbian Presidency

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday that he expects Serbia and Russia to conclude a new gas arrangement by the end of September.

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He told this to reporters in Beijing after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, when asked if he had received any assurances from the Russian side when it comes to a new agreement on the price of gas.

President Vucic added that Serbia will soon sign another agreement with Russia, but pointed out that he received assurances from the Russian side that the new gas arrangement will be under favorable conditions.

"President Putin told me, without going into details, because it is not presidents' job to agree on all the details. I told him that I believe he will be fair to Serbia. I think we will get it by the end of September," said Vucic.

Asked whether Putin hinted at a joint session on cooperation between the two countries, Vucic replied that there are already joint sessions held by mixed committees, led by Russian Minister of Economic Development Maksim Reshetnikov and Serbia's minister without portfolio, Nenad Popovic.

"Soon, that joint session will be held. They are not usually held often, once a year or once every six months. That session will be held before the end of the year," said Vucic.

He stressed that he was especially glad that President Putin "said it even more emphatically how important it is for Serbia to preserve its independence."

"And he pointed out to me that some people do not like to see me at the head of Serbia and as the president of Serbia. And he said that he respects the independent foreign policy of our country and the fact that others are not making decisions on our behalf," concluded Vucic.

Vucic was in China from September 2 to 4, where he attended the marking of the 80th anniversary of China's victory in the Second World War. He was invited by President Xi Jinping.

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)