BEIJING, September 2. /TASS/. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic expressed gratitude to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for the support to the Balkan republic and friendly attitude as he stressed the particular importance of bilateral cooperation across the board.

"Let me express my gratitude to you personally for the respect and support to Serbia’s territorial integrity and the friendly attitude toward the Serbian people. High-level cooperation across the board with Russia is very important for Serbia. Hopefully, we will have the opportunity not only to maintain, but also bolster our cooperation," the Serbian leader said, addressing Putin in Russian.

"Serbia would be happy to welcome all Russian companies, including RZD, and I would like Rosatom and other Russian corporations, too, to come here," Vucic said. He described energy as a "vital sphere" for Belgrade. "Natural gas supplies are very important for us. Thanks to the construction of the pipeline branch toward Hungary, we have done a lot for the development of the energy system," he noted.

Minister of Mining and Energy of Serbia Dubravka Dedovic Handanovic said earlier that Belgrade is currently considering a number of countries, including Russia, as potential partners to develop a national nuclear program.