Russia understands properly Serbia's position on Ukraine

BELGRADE - Russia understands correctly Serbia's position on the crisis in Ukraine, said Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic in talks with Russia's State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin on Tuesday, voicing concern about the escalation of the crisis in that country.

In a friendly talk, the officials said they are satisfied with the level of cooperation between Serbia and Russia, especially in relation to the joint economic projects, the Serbian president's press service issued a release.

Nikolic said that Serbia is interested in intensifying construction works on the South Stream gas pipeline, underlining that this is the project that will ensure long-term energy security and create prerequisites for significant advancement of the Serbian economy.

Naryshkin conveyed Russian President Vladimir Putin's regards to President Nikolic, saying that he highly appreciates the strategic partnership between our two states and peoples.

The State Duma speaker said that Russia understands Serbia's commitment to EU integration, noting that the Union is also Russia's most significant trading partner.

In view of the centenary of the beginning of World War I, Naryshkin presented Nikolic with copies of the letters exchanged between Russian foreign minister Sergei Sazonov, Emperor Nicholas II of Russia and Commander-in-Chief Regent Alexander of Serbia from the Russian archives, in which the two peoples and armed forces pledged mutual support in the event of war.

In return, President Nikolic gave Naryshkin documentaries from World War I and II, and the 1911 movie about Prince Romanov's stay in Serbia and races that were staged in his honor in the Belgrade neighborhood of Banjica, as well as the movie about Grand Leader...