The five-day autumn school brought together over 40 participants from 16 European countries and countries from the region, representatives of civil society institutions, educational institutions and representatives of the media, who exchanged opinions with the MPs on the topic of relations between the Russian Federation and the Western Balkans.

Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Borko Stefanovic said that relations between Serbia and the Russian Federation are complex, based on the Russian Federation’s position of non-recognition of the independence of so-called Kosovo. In the conversation, he expressed his personal opinion that the relations between the two countries are often romanticised, that the attitude of the Russian Federation to Kosovo-Metohija is the reason for the non-introduction of sanctions against Russia by Serbia and pointed out that he believes that Serbia, as a candidate country for EU membership, must align its policy with the EU's foreign policy. Stefanovic also said that in the changed geo-political relations, after Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the region should adhere to what is important for it, which is EU membership, opining that without the full democratisation of the region, open issues and problems will not be effectively resolved. Criticizing the address of the President of Serbia at the UN General Assembly, Stefanovic also expressed the view that Serbia should not feel obliged to the Russian Federation, which violated international law with its aggression against Ukraine, and added that Russia will continue to do what is in its interest, and not in Serbia’s interest. Stefanovic also stated his position that there has been no progress in Serbia’s European integration process in the last seven to eight years, pointing out that the devastation of the country must be stopped and that must Serbia continue its path towards full EU membership, that the Government is not doing enough to stop price gouging, that the way out of the crisis is elections by the end of the year, along with the need to fulfilling the findings of the OSCE Mission, that it is important for Serbia to enter the EU by the end of 2030, because it is possible and that is the way to protect the economic and interests around Kosovo-Metohija, that it is his goal to fulfil the demands from the protests and that Serbia be a state in the EU, without violence and corruption

Deputy Committee member Ksenija Markovic and Committee member Dr Djordje Miketic informed the guests of the views of their parliamentary groups concerning the relationship between Serbia and the Russian Federation, media freedom in Serbia, environmental protests, protests against violence, relations between Serbia and the People's Republic of China, dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, requests to organise elections in Serbia, as well as other political and economic issues.