Gojkovic and Matviyenko agreed that the relations between Serbia and the Russian Federation are very good and highly developed, a situation greatly aided by the frequent meetings of their officials and by uninterrupted dialogue.

Gojkovic and Matviyenko were very pleased by the intensive parliamentary cooperation developed through the National Assembly-Federation Council Cooperation Agreement, emphasising the parliaments’ special importance for the advancement of overall relations between the two countries.

Gojkovic stressed that the cooperation between the two parliaments’ committees is truly significant, pointing out that the foreign affairs committees had been very active it the previous period, and adding that there is ample room to intensify the cooperation between the committees in charge of the economy, energy, transportation and culture.

Gojkovic thanked the Russian Federation for its consistent stance on Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and its support of the, for Serbia quite vital, issue of Kosovo-Metohija, stressing that Serbia is dedicated to the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and the implementation of the Brussels Agreement. Gojkovic hopes that Pristina will fulfil its obligations, especially as regards the establishment of the Association of Serb municipalities, while the Chairperson of the Russian Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko reaffirmed Russia’s endorsement of Serbia’s side in the Kosovo-Metohija issue.

Gojkovic and Matviyenko met under the auspices of the plenary session of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States in St. Petersburg, which the National Assembly Speaker is taking part in as President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) during Serbia’s six-month presidency of the organization.