Lavrov: Russia and Serbia are coordinating the arrival of Ivica Dacic in Russia

“Moscow and Belgrade are coordinating the visit of Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic to Russia after the interruption of the Russian delegation’s visit to Serbia in 2022,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at an online briefing, Russian TASS reports.

The West, Lavrov said, prevented his arrival in Belgrade earlier by forcing Serbia’s neighboring countries not to allow the flight of the Russian plane. “We agreed with Ivica Dacic, my good old friend, that in this situation he will come to the Russian Federation. Now we agree on some specific deadlines.”

Lavrov did not rule out that his words could cause “another arrogant demand from the West that Ivica does not come to the Russian Federation”. “But in any case, we have such an agreement with him,” the Russian minister added, reports TASS.

In this context, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs pointed out that contacts between Russia and Serbia are regular.

“We are very grateful to President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, ministers in the Government of Serbia, for the fact that they are always open to contacts with our ambassador. Those contacts are very useful, and plus we always have the possibility to communicate by phone. And I’m waiting for the visit of Ivica Dacic”, said Lavrov.

According to Lavrov, Russia expresses solidarity with the Serbian people in respecting Resolution 1244 of the United Nations Security Council and the principles agreed upon by the international community and approved by the UN. “We stand in solidarity with the Serbian people in their position on respect for Resolution 1244, respect for all principles agreed by the international community and approved by the UN,” he said.

Lavrov’s visit to Belgrade was scheduled for 6-7. June 2022, but failed due to the fact that Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro refused to provide an air corridor for the Russian minister’s plane. The head of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs assessed that the decision of the European countries not to let his plane pass was “unprecedented and unimaginable”. /The Geopost/