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Russia reaffirms support for Serbia

MOSCOW: Russia’s likely next President Dmitry Medvedev has reaffirmed support for Serbia in its standoff with the West over the self-proclaimed independence by its province Kosovo.

“We take the view that Serbia is an integral state with jurisdiction over its entire territory and we stay on that principled position,” First Deputy Prime Minister Medvedev said during his one-day visit to Belgrade on Monday.

Mr. Medvedev, accompanied by Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, visited Serbia a week after its Albanian-dominated enclave of Kosovo declared unilateral independence. Russia had strongly protested against the recognition of Kosovo’s independence by the United States and its NATO allies.

Mr. Medvedev said he came to Belgrade “to express support for Serbia” in the backdrop of the West’s “illegitimate” recognition of Kosovo.

Russia’s natural gas monopoly Gazprom and Serbiagas signed an agreement on the construction of the Serbian branch of the South Stream gas pipeline that will fully meet Serbia’s energy needs and carry Russian gas further to Europe. Russia and Serbia have also decided to consider visa-free travel between the two Slavic nations.

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