Serbian President Thanks Matviyenko In Russian For Moscow's Stance On Kosovo

BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th October, 2019) Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has thanked Russian upper house speaker Valentina Matviyenko in Russian for Moscow's support for his country's territorial integrity and its stance on Kosovo.

Matviyenko has arrived in Belgrade at the helm of the Russian delegation to attend the 141st Assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union, which runs from October 13-17. Earlier on Monday, she was received by Vucic at the presidential residence. Ahead of closed-door talks, they shortly talked in front of journalists.

"The most crucial thing for us is the position of Russian President Vladimir Putin and yours on support for Serbia's territorial integrity," Vucic said.

He added that he expected to meet with Putin in December.

Last week, the Serbian presidential administration said that Vucic and Putin had agreed in a phone call to meet in Moscow by the year's end and exchange views on "most important issues, especially on Kosovo and Metohija."

At the talks with Matviyenko, Vucic also noted that after the October 6 parliamentary elections in Kosovo, the Albanian authorities in Pristina were doing everything to prevent the Serb List party, which received 96 percent of the votes of Kosovo Serbs, from coming to power.

Kosovo unilaterally proclaimed independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008, after years of conflict with Belgrade. The self-proclaimed republic is recognized by over 100 UN member states. Serbia, as well as Russia, China, Israel, Iran, Spain, Greece and a number of other countries, have not recognized Kosovar independence.

Serbs in Kosovo, who predominantly live in the north, meanwhile, face real hardships, such as consistent destruction of their cultural and religious heritage as well as 100 percent duties on Serbian goods flowing to the region. Following the recent Kosovo parliamentary vote, the European Union said that its mission had taken note of "intimidation" against the ethnic Serbian population during the electoral process.