MOSCOW, July 07. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia and Serbia are ready to start procedures of signing an agreement on the South Stream gas pipeline in the next few days, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Monday after talks with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic.

“This project should not be politicized because it is mutually beneficial. Our negotiations with the Serbian partners have confirmed this approach,” Medvedev said.

In turn, Vucic said only technical issues remain on South Stream, and they are being resolved promptly.

The South Stream gas pipeline is a priority project for Russia, which became particularly obvious during the latest events in Ukraine, Medvedev said. He stressed that South Stream would help ensure reliability of Russian gas supplies to European consumers in the coming decade.

Serbia wants to become part of Europe, but does not want to destroy its relations with Russia, Vucic said.

The Serbian prime minister stressed that Serbia supports President Vladimir Putin’s initiatives for Ukraine. “We have supported all peaceful initiatives of President Vladimir Putin and Russia,” Vucic told journalists, noting that Serbia had also supported Germany’s stance on the issue.