BELGRADE
"Russia, just as it has in the past, will always see Serbia as our closest ally," Russian President Vladimir Putin said on a visit to Belgrade on Thursday.
Putin visited Belgrade as the guest of honour at a military parade on Thursday marking the 70th anniversary of the city's liberation by the Red Army in the Second World War.
The President of Serbia Tomislav Nikolic presented his Russian counterpart with the Order of the Republic of Serbia, the country's highest state decoration.
Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic told Putin after tribute at a memorial that, "Serbia will not compromise its morals with any kind of bad behaviour towards Russia."
After the parade, Putin met with the Serbian president, and then with the Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic at the the White Palace in the Serbian capital. The leaders discussed trade in energy and agricultural products.
Putin stated at a press conference in Belgrade that Serbia's agricultural exports to Russia were growing at a remarkable rate.
"Thanks to our new bilateral agreements, the value of agricultural products exported from Serbia to Russia will reach about $500 million," Putin said. Putin signed nine bilateral agreements for cooperation in the military-technical field, for energy, rail transport and other non-disclosed sectors with Serbian authorities.
Vucic noted that Serbia had declined to participate in sanctions against Russia imposed by Western countries after the conflict in Ukraine.
"Serbia is the only country which does not impose sanctions against Russia. I am tired of repeating, but we will not implement the sanctions. Perhaps another government will impose sanctions against Russia, but this government will not have such an attitude," Vucic insisted.
This was Putin’s third visit to Belgrade since 2000. Putin previously visited Serbia in 2001 and in 2011.
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