BELGRADE, April 19. /TASS/. Relations between Serbia and Russia are in a good place and Belgrade is grateful to Moscow for its support on the Kosovo issue, Igor Braunovic, chairman of the Serbian National Assembly’s Parliamentary Friendship Group with Russia, said on Wednesday at a meeting with a delegation of the Federation Council (the upper house of Russia’s parliament).

"Bilateral relations between the Republic of Serbia and the Russian Federation are well-developed and our two states and two people enjoy this traditional friendship, which has been elevated to a higher level since the Declaration on Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Serbia and the Russian Federation was signed in 2013," Braunovic was cited as saying in a published statement from the Serbian parliament.

"During the conversation, Braunovic expressed gratitude for Russia’s support in preserving the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia and also for the support in rebuilding the monasteries of Kosovo and Metohija. In addition, he pointed out that for Serbia, energy agreements, as well as economic and cultural cooperation with the Russian Federation, are of paramount importance," the statement said.

The lawmaker emphasized that the Parliamentary Friendship Group with Russia consists of 98 members, which "shows the significance the lawmakers attribute to interparliamentary ties with their counterparts from the Russian Federation."

In the meantime, Elena Afanasyeva, a member of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Relations and head of the Federation Council’s group for cooperation with Serbia’s National Assembly, lauded "the friendship that has bound our countries for centuries and noted that Russia will not alter its stance on Kosovo and Metohija." She added that "it is essential to continue continuous interparliamentary cooperation and maintain constant contact between the Parliamentary Friendship Groups, as this can give impetus to uniting the Serbian and Russian regions and cities, as well as to their closer economic, cultural and educational cooperation.".