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Kremlin unaware of alleged arrest of Russians in Serbia

Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has commented on the reasons for the visit by Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev to Serbia
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov Mikhail Metzel/TASS
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov
© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

SOCHI, October 28. /TASS/. The Kremlin knows nothing about the situation with the alleged arrest of Russian citizens in Serbia and their subsequent deportation, as reported by some media outlets, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.

"No, I do not know anything," he said when asked to comment on media reports on the issue, including those concerning the reasons for the visit by Russian Security Council Secretary, Nikolai Patrushev, to Serbia.

"Patrushev is in the status of active cooperation and dialogue with his foreign colleagues," the Kremlin spokesman said. "You know that he actively communicates with his counterparts in various countries around the world. Considering the special nature of our relations with the Serbs, of course, it is quite natural that there is such an exchange of visits. Of course, bilateral relations and the state of affairs in the region are discussed in the first place."

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic earlier declined to comment on local media reports about the alleged deportation of Russian citizens. In response to a request from Serbia’s N1 TV channel to comment on a report by the Danas newspaper on the issue, Vucic said that he "does not comment on tabloids’ headlines."

Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in Belgrade said it received no formal notification about the alleged deportation of Russian citizens from Serbia over involvement in plotting terror attacks in Montenegro on October 16 when the parliamentary elections were held there.