Russian-Serbian talks
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/59689
Talks between Vladimir Putin and President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic have been held at the Palace of Serbia government complex.
The consultations were preceded by an official welcoming ceremony. The two presidents introduced members of their delegations. Vladimir Putin and Aleksandar Vucic also toured an exhibition, Russian-Serbian Relations in the Documents from the Archive of Serbia for 1804–1918, which shows various materials dating back to those years, including photographs, letters, decrees on the appointment of ambassadors, trade agreements and other exhibits.
Earlier that day, the President of Russia and the President of Serbia laid wreaths at the Monument to the Liberators of Belgrade and the Monument to the Soviet Soldiers.
The current state and future prospects of Russia-Serbia relations in different areas, including trade and the economy, humanitarian and military-technical areas were discussed at the meeting in a restricted format. Then the talks continued in expanded format.
After the consultations, Vladimir Putin presented Alexandar Vucic with a state decoration of the Russian Federation – the Order of Alexander Nevsky – for his major personal contribution to the advancement of multilateral cooperation with Russia.
An exchange of documents signed during the Russian President’s official visit to Serbia took place in the presence of the two countries’ leaders.
The presidents of Russia and Serbia held a joint news conference.
Beginning of talks with President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/59690
President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic (retranslated): Welcome, Mr President!
Welcome to Serbia, welcome to Belgrade! I hope that you will feel nice and comfortable here.
Serbia and Russia are genuine friends, and I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart, Mr President, for investing your energy, effort, work, love and respect in making the relations between our countries even better, even stronger.
Trade between our countries is growing all the time. Imports from Russia grew by 30 percent, exports from Serbia – by 4.1 percent.
All the areas we work together in are developing, everything is moving forward. We signed several agreements today. There are major new areas for cooperation such as innovative technology and digital technology.
We receive your proposals with great interest and very much hope that this Boiling Point [collaborative centre of Russia’s Agency for Strategic Initiatives to Promote New Projects] under your patronage will be extended to Serbia, and we will have this kind of hub here.
I would also like to say that all our agreements and contracts in the field of infrastructure and energy are not only developing, but are moving forward at the highest level, in leaps and bounds.
Regarding military-technical cooperation, we in Serbia are very pleased with this area. Thank you for your willingness and desire to help us in this matter.
If you remember, Mr President – I am very proud of what I am about to say – six years ago, when we met in Sochi, we were talking (Mr Lavrov was also there), discussing how Serbia could repay its huge accumulated debt. Well, now Serbia has no debt, and what’s more, it pays for everything on time, it makes advance payments and is a truly reliable partner in this sense.
In closing, I would like to thank you very much for all your effort and your support for Serbia’s independence, for the preservation of its territorial integrity, and other matters. And you can always count on us. Although Serbia might not be a large country geographically, you can still count on us.
Thank you and welcome.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Thank you for the kind words and the invitation.
You and I are in constant contact: recently we met in Russia and I remember my visit to Serbia.
I would like to thank the residents of Belgrade and the entire fraternal Serbian nation for giving me such a warm reception. It is visible on the faces of people in the streets of the city.
The roots of our relations are deep and long-standing, and the spiritual affinity of our people is obvious. All this is helping us build on our relations today.
Indeed, trade is on the upswing and has already reached $2 billion. I am particularly pleased to note that our relations are becoming more and more diversified, from engineering to energy and infrastructure. We also have new advanced areas that, I know, were discussed on the eve of my visit and we will also talk about them today.
I am very happy to visit the friendly and fraternal nation of Serbia, discuss what we have done recently and map out prospects for our cooperation in the near future.
Mr President, you have done much recently, in the past few years, to advance Serbia-Russia relations. And today I have the welcome task and great pleasure of presenting you with a Russian Federation state decoration for everything you have done on this highly righteous and noble front.
Thank you.
Alexandar Vucic: (Speaking Russian.) Thank you very much. This is a great honour for me and Serbia.
Thank you once again.
Beginning of Russian-Serbian talks in expanded format
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/59691
Ceremony for presenting the Order of Alexander Nevsky to President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/59692
Following talks, Vladimir Putin presented Alexandar Vucic with a Russian Federation state decoration – the Order of Alexander Nevsky.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President, friends,
I am truly glad to present the President of Serbia with a high Russian state decoration – the Order of Alexander Nevsky.
The name of Alexander Nevsky – a great saint and a protector of warriors and diplomats, who brought glory to Russia and himself with his military victories and defended the independence of the motherland in the struggle against foreign invaders – enjoys special respect in our country.
The glorious names of outstanding Serbian leaders are part of the almost 300-year old history of this order. They include Prince Milos Obrenovic who led the struggle for Serbian independence in the 19th century and Prime Minister Nikola Pasic who headed the Serbian Government during World War I.
Now your name, Mr President, has been justly put on the honour list of the recipients of this order.
We know you as a supporter of the closest and warmest possible relations between Russia and Serbia. It is largely owing to your personal contribution that Russia-Serbia cooperation is making successful headway in all areas and is not subject to the international or political environment. We highly value your position of principle, Mr President.
Mr President, I wholeheartedly wish you good health, prosperity and new successes in your country’s highest office.
Thank you for your attention.
Vladimir Putin presents Alexandar Vucic with the Order of Alexander Nevsky.
President of the Republic of Serbia Alexandar Vucic (Speaking Russian.): Mr President, my dear friend,
Allow me to say just a few words in Russian. Receiving the Order of Alexander Nevsky is a great honour for me and for Serbia, but also great responsibility for my future work to expand cooperation between Russia and Serbia.
My gratitude – it has to be said – is not just protocol: it is profound and sincere. This recognition, this decoration is very important for me.
Why do I say this? Because I am receiving this decoration from President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. And why do I stress this fact? Because President Vladimir Putin is a very important leader for Russia, he has elevated Russia, guarded its dignity, and also guarded the vital interests of the Serbian people.
Our people, the Serbian people, will never forget what Vladimir Putin did in 2015 when on the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation, Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have declared the Serbs a genocidal people. On that occasion President Putin upheld truth and justice, and so we come to everything we will be working on in the future with a great sense of responsibility.
Secondly, our two countries have very good political relations. Of course, we have plenty of opportunities to increase and expand our cooperation on economic matters.
I will never speak like the many other politicians who speak only of their love for Pushkin, Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky.
This decoration, the recognition I received today is a great obligation for me to work for the future relations of Serbia and Russia.
Finally, I am proud of my native Serbia, I am proud of my country which deserves this decoration. In recent years Serbia has successfully preserved its independence, territorial integrity and military neutrality. This recognition means to us that we too have preserved Serbia as a free state.
Once again, thank you, Mr President, for appreciating the complex situation of our country, our Serbia.
And finally I would like to thank my family, because everything I said – it is, as I have said, a great honour for me and my family. I would like to dedicate this decoration to my father and the Vucic family from a small village of Cipulic where the Serbs have always loved Russia as they love Serbia.
Meeting with Emir Kusturica
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/59695
Vladimir Putin had a meeting in Belgrade with Serbian film director, actor and musician Emir Kusturica
Meeting with Chairman of Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency Milorad Dodik
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/59694
Vladimir Putin met in Belgrade with Chairman of Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency Milorad Dodik.
Official reception on behalf of President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/59696
President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic hosted an official reception in Belgrade in honour of President of Russia Vladimir Putin.
Joint news conference with President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/59693
Following Russian-Serbian talks, Vladimir Putin and Aleksandar Vucic gave a joint news conference
Visit to Church of Saint Sava
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/59697
Concluding his official visit to Serbia, Vladimir Putin visited the Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade
Vladimir Putin and President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic viewed the church interior, where the main altar is consecrated in honour of the revered local saint, Saint Sava, the First Archbishop of Serbia. The two leaders were accompanied by Serbian Patriarch Irinej and Bishop of Remesiana, Archimandrite Stefan, Principal of the Saint Sava Church.
People's Artist of Russia Nikolai Mukhin, who leads a group of Russian artists, reported to the presidents on the progress in decorating the dome and the altar with mosaics.
Vladimir Putin, Aleksandar Vucic, and Serbian Patriarch Irinej inserted the missing fragments into the mosaic Holy Saviour’s Image, symbolically completing the mural.