BELGRADE. June 18 (Interfax) - Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic hopes to exchange views on various international issues with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an upcoming meeting during his visit to Moscow.
"I need to fly to Moscow in three days and have already scheduled a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where we will also exchange evaluations, experience, and information that we have on events and relations on the international scene and on how Serbia can secure and defend its interests," Vucic said at a press conference in Belgrade after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Vucic said he is also planning meetings with other European officials.
The Serbian president said he had asked Russia to support the Serbian Orthodox Church. "Its survival is in jeopardy. And I asked and said Serbia will continue its support and Putin's arrival at the opening ceremony of the magnificent Church of Saint Sava will mean an additional impetus not only for our cultural and religious relations, but will also strengthen the position of our people and our country. And the Serbian church," he said.
Vucic also said he will have a series of consultations on settlement in Kosovo in the near future.
"We're meeting [EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav] Lajcak here [in Belgrade] on June 22, and I will hold consultations with President Putin on June 23. But like I said, I will have meetings with other European leaders on [June] 23 and 24. It's not an easy situation for us," he said.