Serbia’s president Aleksandar Vucic has sought Moscow’s continued support over Kosovo and restated his opposition to Nato membership, as he became the first foreign leader to meet Vladimir Putin since he began another term as Russian president. Mr Vucic and Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu were the only top-level foreign guests at Wednesday’s military parade on Red Square to mark Victory Day, highlighting Serbia’s status as one of Russia’s closest European allies. Moscow is Belgrade’s staunchest ally in rejecting the independence of Kosovo, a former region of Serbia, and Mr Vucic said he asked Russia, “as one of the most important and strongest world powers, for help in resolving the Kosovo question”. The EU says Serbia and Kosovo must normalise their relations before they join the bloc, and it is brokering talks to help them reach a deal. He also assured Mr Putin that Belgrade would not join western sanctions imposed on Russia for its aggression against Ukraine, saying: “Serbia has shown that it is a reliable partner for the Russian Federation.

Source: The Irish Times May 09, 2018 16:52 UTC