Serbian president highlights upcoming talks with Putin

Belgrade expects support from Russia in the settlement of its political and national tasks, and the upcoming talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin are of special importance for Serbia, President Aleksandar Vucic told reporters in Moscow on Monday.

"The moment at which I am meeting with President Putin is among the most significant for us in the past few years," President Vucic said. "The situation in our region is very difficult, it is necessary to weigh up every word and of course every political step. At the moment when we can be satisfied with economic progress, we have substantial political problems in the region," he went on to say.

"That is why a meeting with President Putin is of special importance," Vucic was quoted by Serbian national television.

According to the president, the two leaders intend to discuss bilateral relations. "They are good politically, good from the economic point of view, but they should be much better," he noted. "We will discuss a lot of concrete projects that are of major importance for a better life of our citizens," President Vucic said.

He said they would also discuss the situation in Europe and in the world. "Now we face different conditions and possibilities, big tensions and it is important to speak about all of this. About all isolated incidents, which did take place and which can happen in the future," the Serbian leader said.

The Kremlin press service said on Monday that the Russian and Serbian leaders "will discuss key issues of further development of Russian-Serbian relations, as well as topical regional and international issues".

Earlier, Vucic said he intended to discuss with Putin the situation in Kosovo and Metohija and ask for his support.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday"this meeting was scheduled back several months ago, that is why it is not related to growing tensions in the region". Peskov said "the peoples of the two countries share a common history, warm feelings and extensive trade-economic ties".

"And of course, growing tensions in the adjacent region - all this will be on the agenda of the talks, which, I repeat it once again, were scheduled several months ago," he specified. Peskov stressed that Serbia was a long-standing partner of Russia. He said the upcoming talks would come in "continuation of regular working contacts of the Russian and Serbian leadership".

Putin and Vucic will meet on Tuesday, October 2.