MOSCOW, March 21. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who turns 74 on Thursday, will hold talks with Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic.

As the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement earlier, the ministers will discuss a wide range of issues concerning Russian-Serbian political and economic interaction, and exchange views on developments related to the Kosovo settlement and the Balkan region as a whole. They will also focus on current international issues.

On the same day, a major bilateral sporting event will take place: Moscow will host a football friendly between the teams of Russia and Serbia. Lavrov is known to be a devoted football fan, so Dacic once presented him with the Serbian national team’s Number 10 t-shirt. In the same year, the ministers met on the sidelines of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Lavrov’s talks with Dacic are always held in a friendly atmosphere, and the two ministers traditionally exchange gifts prior to the meeting. During his visit in Belgrade in 2020, Lavrov presented a microphone to his Serbian counterpart, who, in return, gave him a guitar.

Fraternal relations

Despite the collective West’s serious pressure on Serbia, Belgrade maintains a truly friendly relationship with Moscow. Serbia’s stance on anti-Russian sanctions remains unchanged as well, as its top government officials have repeatedly refused to join the West’s anti-Russian measures.

Russia also regularly underscores the special nature of its ties with Serbia, emphasizing the two countries’ common cultural and historical heritage that forms a solid basis for a bilateral dialogue. The Serbs have remained Russia’s reliable allies for centuries, and Moscow knows, remembers and appreciates it, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

In turn, Serbian President Alexander Vucic has congratulated Vladimir Putin on winning the presidential election in Russia on Monday.

"During a meeting with Ambassador Botsan-Kharchenko, I availed myself of this opportunity and handed over a letter for Russian President Vladimir Putin, where, along with my congratulations on his victory in the election, I pointed to the difficult situation of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, serious challenges Serbia is facing. I also thanked Russia for its support for Serbia’s territorial integrity," Vucic said.