The officials stressed that Serbia and Russia enjoy traditionally good and friendly relations and that there is potential to improve cooperation both at the parliamentary level and in the spheres of economy, trade, education, science and culture.

After the meeting, Gojkovic and Matviyenko signed an Agreement on Interparliamentary Cooperation between the National Assembly and the Federation Council, stressing that the document would contribute to the further intensification of parliamentary relations.

Gojkovic said that the signing of the Agreement completes the institutional framework of cooperation since the Assembly also has an agreement of this kind with the Russian Duma, which promotes cooperation between the parliamentary committees and delegations in international organisations.

Matviyenko said that Russia and Serbia have centuries-long historical, cultural and spiritual ties which set the groundwork for the further development and improvement of relations in a number of areas and deepen the cooperation between the two nations.

Matviyenko expects her visit to Serbia and the Interparliamentary Cooperation Agreement to prompt the furthering of relations at the parliamentary level, which do not lag in intensity or otherwise behind the overall relations between the two countries.

Matviyenko added that the trade and economic cooperation between Serbia and Russia is developing successfully, but that there is still more potential for expansion and opined that the two parliaments’ working bodies could contribute to it.

The delegation of the Russian Federation Council comprises Federation Council Social Policy Chairman Valery Ryazanskiy, International Affairs Committee Deputy Chairman Vladimir Mikhailovich Dzhabarov and Agrarian and Food Policy Committee member Yevgeny Gromyko.

The meeting was also attended by National Assembly Deputy Speaker Veroljub Arsic, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairperson Aleksandra Djurovic and the Head of the Russia-Serbia Parliamentary Friendship Group Aleksandar Martinovic.

Click here to watch the press conference of National Assembly Speaker Gojkovic and Chairperson of the Russian Federation Council Matviyenko.