MOSCOW, July 08./ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is to meet with Serbian Prime Minister Alexander Vucic, who is making a working visit to Russia, the Kremlin press service said.

Cooperation in the energy sector is destined to become a major issue of discussions between Putin and Vucic.

“Putin and Vucic will exchange opinions on the prospects for further political dialogue between the two countries,” the press service said.

Their discussion of bilateral trade is expected concentrate on the energy sector, expansion of cultural and humanitarian relations, as well as collaboration in international affairs.

Vucic had talks with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Monday. They spoke to reporters upon the end of their meeting about the plan for implementing the South Stream gas pipeline project.

“This project shouldn’t be politicized because it has a mutually beneficial character,” Medvedev said. “Our talks with the Serb partners have reaffirmed precisely this approach.”

He added that the sides would be ready to sign an agreement shortly.

Serbia’s Prime Minister said on his part only a few technical issues were still unresolved by work on them was moving ahead at a good pace.

The South Stream is a global infrastructure project run by Gazprom. It centers on a pipeline with a throughput capacity for 63 bln cubic meters that will stretch across the floor of the Black Sea to the countries of Southern and Central Europe.

Its objective is to diversify the export routes and to rule out the transit risks.

The land-surface section of the pipeline will cross the territories of Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Slovenia, and Austria.

Last autumn, the European Commission launched an antimonopoly inquiry into the South Stream, claiming the project stood at variance with the EU’s so-called Third Energy Package.

Medvedev and Vucic also discussed the situation in Ukraine.

“We supported all the peace initiatives put forward by President Putin and Russia,” he said.