Serbian representatives to take part in SPIEF business programme

Anton Kobyakov, an Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation and Executive Secretary of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum Organizing Committee, recently held a meeting in Moscow with Aleksandar Vulin, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Srbijagas and a former Serbian Deputy Prime Minister.

During the meeting, Kobyakov and Vulin discussed key issues concerning Russian-Serbian cooperation, the further development of bilateral political, economic, and humanitarian collaboration, as well as prospects for bolstering public and interparliamentary ties.

They devoted particular attention to broadening cooperation in international business communications, expanding ties between representatives of the expert, cultural, and socio-political communities of Russia and Serbia, and developing humanitarian interaction. Separate discussions focused on preparations for the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2026 and opportunities to expand the participation of Serbian representatives in the Forum’s business programme.

“Russia traditionally views Serbia as one of its most important partners in the Balkans, and relations between the two countries are grounded in a long-standing friendship, mutual respect, and the spiritual and historical affinity of their peoples. We consistently support the development of an open and trust-based dialogue with the Serbian people and are in favour of strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation across all key sectors. Today, it is particularly important to preserve independent channels of engagement, expand humanitarian, social, and business contacts, and create conditions for a long-term partnership,” Kobyakov said.

Vulin reaffirmed his interest in further strengthening Russian-Serbian relations and emphasized the importance of maintaining Serbia’s independent and sovereign trajectory, intensifying social and humanitarian engagement, and reinforcing direct dialogue between the peoples of the two countries.

“Serbia and Russia are bound by long-standing historical, spiritual, and fraternal ties. It is particularly important for us to maintain an independent course and develop cooperation that is grounded in mutual respect, support for sovereignty, and a commitment to an equal partnership,” Vulin said.

The talks also addressed the involvement of Serbian representatives in international events hosted in Russia, including the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russian Energy Week, the International United Cultures Forum, and other major international platforms.

Both sides underscored the importance of expanding direct dialogue between representatives of the two countries’ socio-political and expert communities, and expressed their readiness to further develop joint initiatives that aim to strengthen the Russian-Serbian partnership.