The officials noted that the Republic of Serbia and the Russian Federation enjoy traditionally good and friendly relations and a high level of interparliamentary cooperation. They emphasized the importance of the Russian State Duma - National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia Cooperation Commission whose second session on 5 June at the National Assembly yielded a number of specific suggestions how to intensify cooperation at the level of parliamentary committees and services.

Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Prof. Dr Zarko Obradovic said that EU accession is Serbia’s foreign policy priority, but so is the development of good relations with the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China. He said that the two states maintain strategic partnership and a high degree of cooperation in the spheres of culture, science and education, and that there is room to further economic cooperation.

Zarko Obradovic said that reciprocal support between Serbia and Russia in international organisations, especially United Nations, is very significant. He took the opportunity to thank Russia for its principled stance on the status of Kosovo-Metohija and helping prevent it from presenting itself as an independent state in international organizations. Obradovic also said that Russia’s support in the case of Kosovo’s failed UNESCO bid was invaluable.

Speaking of the traditionally good relations between the two countries, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Council’s Committee on Foreign Affairs Andrey Klimov said that Serbia has Russia’s support as regards its territorial integrity and status of Kosovo-Metohija.

The meeting was also attended by Committee Deputy Chairperson and Head of the PFG with Russia Aleksandra Djurovic, Committee member Milisav Petronijevic and Committee substitute member Dusica Stojkovic, as well as the head of Duma’s PFG with Serbia Valery Ivanov. They all agreed that there is ample room to intensify cooperation at the level of National Assembly and Duma committees.