18 March 2019

Council President Nikolić in meeting with a Russian State Duma Member

President of the National Council for Coordination of Cooperation with the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China Tomislav Nikolić had a meeting with Mr. Evgenii Primakov, Member of the Russian State Duma and Director of the Russian Humanitarian Mission (RHM) Governing Board.

Photograph: National Council

Council President Nikolić thanked Mr. Primakov for the constant support lent by the Russian Federation, which was now extending to include humanitarian relief to Kosovo and Metohija. Mr. Nikolić stressed that Russian investments and businesses were welcome in Serbia and that the National Council would endorse new Russian projects. He expressed his expectation that Serbia and Russia would step up their bilateral relations in all economic areas, especially in agriculture.

Mr. Primakov said that it was very heartening for him to meet Mr. Nikolić, describing his visit to Belgrade as particularly emotional, since his grandfather Evgenii Primakov used to be the Prime Minister of Russia during the 1999 bombing campaign.

Mr. Primakov was visiting Serbia in the context of commemorations to mark 20 years since the NATO bombing campaign, to participate in a conference “The Bombing of Yugoslavia, Twenty Years Later – Lessons for the 21st Century European Security”. Mr. Primakov affirmed his belief that the two friendly countries would intensify their future cooperation. “The RHM aims to provide humanitarian aid to Kosovo and Metohija and plans to deliver it to the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija in the coming period”, Mr. Primakov underlined.