A Victory Day parade was held in Moscow, commemorating the allied win in the Second World War and the surrender of Nazi Germany in 1945. Apart from the top Russian officials, including the recently sworn in Russian President, Vladimir Putin, Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic was also in attendance.
13,000 soldiers, more than 150 pieces of modern weapons and military equipment, as well as 75 planes and helicopters all participated in the central parade which took place at Moscow’s Red Square, with the Russian army’s MiG-29 jet fighters and Su-30 jet fighters of the Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) flying in formation in central Moscow. After the Victory Day procession, the Serbian President, the Israeli Prime Minister and the Russian president laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Vucic and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu were the only top-level foreign guests at Wednesday’s military parade on Red Square to mark Victory Day, highlighting Serbia’s status as one of Russia’s closest European allies.
Following the Victory Day procession, Vucic said that he was grateful to Vladimir Putin for bestowing this shown honour on the Serbian delegation and Serbia as a state, making the Serbian delegation as the main guests of this year’s parade. “This proves, yet again that, in addition to sharing the common past, we will have much in common in the future too”, Vucic told Radio Television Serbia.
He underlined that he spent “a great deal of time” talking to Putin about Kosovo and Metohija. “We have analyzed all existing UN documents and the behaviour of all stakeholders in the world politics in terms of the Kosovo issue”, the President of Serbia underlined.
No solution [on Kosovo] can be found in the United Nations without Russia’s approval and in that sense Russia will very actively monitor our talks and everything that could happen, and will react in a timely way,” Serbia’s leader said.
The two statesmen also spoke about the economic cooperation, cooperation in the field of energy, military-technical cooperation, as well as Putin’s visit to Serbia, which is expected to take place in October or November this year.
Vucic believes that Serbia has succeeded in proving itself as a reliable partner to Russia and that this partnership is long-term.
“Everyone knows, both in Europe and the rest of the world, that Serbia is on its way to the EU accession, but also that, despite the accession process, it will not impose sanctions on Russia. If Serbia says that it will foster its military neutrality and will not join NATO or any other military alliance, Serbia means it”, Vucic added.
Vucic also says that Putin is there for Serbia whenever Serbia needs him, adding that he is extremely grateful to him for that.
(Politika, Danas, Irish Times, 09.05.2018)
http://www.politika.rs/sr/clanak/403382/Vucic-pored-Putina-na-vojnoj-paradi-u-Moskvi
https://www.danas.rs/politika/vucic-putin-nam-pomaze-kad-god-treba/
Photo credits: Tanjug
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