Zelenskyy makes first official visit to Serbia, meets with Vučić

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Serbia's capital, Belgrade, for his first official visit to the country, meeting with President Aleksandar Vučić. Serbia has maintained friendly relations with Russia since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The two leaders discussed enhancing bilateral ties and Serbia's aspirations for European Union membership. This meeting followed Vučić's visit to Kyiv in July. During the summit, Vučić described Ukraine as a "friendly country" and reiterated Serbia's commitment to supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity, including regions occupied by Russia since 2014. He expressed gratitude that no one from Ukraine had spoken negatively about Serbia.

Both presidents also expressed their intention to finalize a free trade agreement by the end of the year. This agreement is a significant step for Serbia's accession to the World Trade Organization and is also a condition for its EU membership bid. Ukraine had previously blocked Serbia's WTO accession since 2005 over agricultural quotas and tariff issues.

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Zelenskyy President, and no one from Ukraine has ever said anything bad about Serbia.

Zelenskyy highlighted discussions on joint infrastructure projects and cooperation in energy and food security, particularly relevant for Ukraine as it braces for winter following Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure. "We are developing all forms of cooperation that can increase the resilience of our people," Zelenskyy stated.

Reuters noted that Vučić, facing early general elections within months, is navigating a delicate balance between Serbia's EU ambitions and its historical and economic ties with Russia. Although Serbia condemned Russia's invasion, it has refused to impose Western sanctions on Moscow, relying heavily on Russian gas supplies.

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We are developing all forms of cooperation that can increase the resilience of our people.