Russia and Serbia

[Al Bundy]

Jun 2001: 16. and 17.
For the first time in history, Serbia has visited Russia's head of state - President of RF Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.



In Belgrade Putin met with Federal President V. Kostunica ( Pro-Western Democratic Opposition of Serbia) and later the Russian President visited Russian troops in Kosovo ( KFOR ).

http://articles.latimes.com/2001/jun/18/news/mn-11800http://

[Al Bundy]

US State Department has new man for Russia and Serbia

Wess Mitchell, co-founder of the Center for European Policy Analysis, is the be the new assistant US secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs.

Source: TANJUG Friday, September 29, 2017 | 13:13

This has been confirmed by the US Senate, Tanjug reported on Friday.

He replaces Victoria Nuland, who held this post in the administration of former US President Barack Obama and was, among other things, in charge of relations with Russia, but also with Serbia.

News agencies are reporting that Mitchell was elected under a simplified procedure at the end of a session which confirmed the appointment of several US diplomats to new ambassadorial posts.



Last Edit by Palmerston

[Al Bundy]

EU "looking to put pressure on Serbia"   

The European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee has urged Serbia to "fight against its dependence on Russian gas."
Source: Sputnik Wednesday, November 7, 2018 | 12:41


https://www.b92.net/eng/news/world.php?yyyy=2018&mm=11&dd=07&nav_id=105464



Last Edit by Humphrey

[Al Bundy]

AP: Russian President Putin in Belgrade, Serbia in Thursday



BANSTOL, Serbia (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin already has a village, a wax figure, a plum brandy and several cafes named after him in Serbia. Now, he’s getting a church.
Topped with Russian-style green-and-gold onion-shaped domes, the church in this tiny village in northwestern Serbia is still under construction but it has already been dubbed “Putin’s church.”
Locals say the emerging structure is meant as a sign of admiration for Putin and the centuries-long brotherly ties between the two nations that share common Slavic roots and the Orthodox Christian religion.
With Putin set to visit Serbia later this week, the residents of Banstol are eagerly awaiting word on whether he might come to see the church, as some local media have suggested.
“This church has acquired the unofficial name of Putin’s church because Putin is a symbol of a new, upright Russia, a Russia which Serbs have started to believe in once again,” said the local initiator of the project, Branko Simonovic.
Simonovic said the church is purposefully designed in the Russian style — traditional Serbian churches have different domes and towers — to show that Serbs “were always looking to Russia for backing, precisely because of religion.”

Historically close ties between Russia and Serbia have recently been visibly revived after Putin stepped up efforts to restore Moscow’s influence in the former communist countries of Eastern Europe.

Russia’s interest in the region relates to its strategic position between East and West. Out of Serbia’s eight neighbors, five are NATO members; four are in the EU and two more are working toward accession.

Serbia has turned out to be a faithful ally to Russia even as the country formally seeks membership in the European Union. Belgrade has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia over Ukraine and has promised it will stay out of NATO.

"Analysts" say that strong ties between the Serbian and Russian churches have played a major role in restoring Russia’s influence among the Serbs after the historic alliance collapsed during the existence of Yugoslavia whose communist leader Josip Broz Tito turned away from the Soviet Union to foster close links with the West.

Nowadays, shirts with Putin’s image are sold by street vendors and openly pro-Russian ministers sit in the Serbian government. Surveys say that most Serbs believe Russia is their country’s biggest ally and financial donor despite much bigger Western economic and other aid to the Balkan country.

Putin’s popularity is mostly because the Kremlin is supporting Serbia in its rejection of independence for the former Serbian province of Kosovo, which the Serbian church considers its birthplace and where hundreds of its medieval monasteries and churches are located.

In contrast, most Western countries have recognized Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence.

The Head of the Serbian Orthodox church, Patriarch Irinej, recently said that Serbia wants good relations with Europe, the United States and Russia, but since the interests of the West “counter ours, there is no doubt that Russia comes first.”

The Serbian church demonstrated its loyalty when it sided recently with Russia in rejection of independence for the Ukrainian church from Moscow.

Similarly, in the Serb-run part of neighboring Bosnia, pro-Russia authorities are building a Serbia-Russia cultural and religious center that also will include a church that many see as a display of Russia’s soft power influence in the Balkans — the ability to attract masses, rather than use force to subdue them like the Soviets did.

A common joke among lybtard Serbs is that the preparations for Putin’s visit to Serbia on Thursday are as if the Pope is arriving.

The highlight of Putin’s one-day trip will be his visit to the biggest Orthodox Christian temple in the Balkans in Belgrade where some of its mosaics were painted by Russian artists with money donated by the Kremlin.

Putin and his host, Serbia’s populist  President Aleksandar Vucic, are set to address tens of thousands of people outside the Saint Sava church “in a symbol of brotherly ties,” the organizers said.

Apart from media attention, the Russia-style church in Banstol has attracted tens of thousands of dollars in donations, from home and abroad, especially since it was named after the Russian president. Undisclosed Russian donors reportedly also contributed.

“I see that Putin’s picture is put on women’s underpants, gold watches, cell phones, so why wouldn’t a church bear his name? I think that he’d be more happy to have this church as his image brand,” Simonovic said.

Marko Drobnjakovic and Jovana Gec contributed.


https://www.apnews.com/3d98bcf3c2804462885fac93d816aeae



Last Edit by Larry

[Al Bundy]

Vladimir Putin for the second time in Belgrade    I was there too.









President of Serbia Vucic tried to use Russian President to speak to the his supporters but Putin is not stupid.

American TV N1 ignored event although were on the streets of Belgrade more than 100000 people.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N1_(television)



Last Edit by Gladstone

[Al Bundy]

Serbia-Russia trade reaches USD 3.6 billion annually

Serbian-Russian bilateral trade volume has been on a rise over the past several years and the goal is to reach the 2008 level of 4 billion dollars.
Source: Tanjug Friday, March 8, 2019 | 10:51

https://www.b92.net/eng/news/business.php?yyyy=2019&mm=03&dd=08&nav_id=106369



Last Edit by Gladstone

[Al Bundy]

"West continues to cover up its own, and KLA crimes"

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says that Western countries are covering up the crimes committed during NATO's military operation in Yugoslavia in 1999.
Source: Tanjug, TASS Friday, March 22, 2019 | 16:47

Tanjug reporting this citing TASS, which noted that Lavrov said this in Russia broadcaster NTV's "U-Turn Above the Atlantic" documentary.

He was speaking about the possibility of an international investigation into whether NATO representatives are responsible for civilian deaths, strikes on civilian facilities and the use of depleted uranium munitions during bombing of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro).

"I think the West has been and will continue doing everything possible to prevent it from happening. As for the banned munitions, the Serbs are conducting an investigation. Once it is over, we will see what can be done to make sure that this crime doesn’t go unpunished. I would like to reiterate, I don’t see any chance that international agencies that involve the West and where Western votes count will go for it. They will make every possible effort to prevent it," Lavrov said.

He pointed out that in 2010, Swiss lawmaker Dick Marty published a report, "which contained horrifying information about the crimes of the Kosovo Liberation Army militants, who abducted people for organ trafficking purposes."

"The West had to make the Kosovo authorities give their consent to establish a special court to investigate the crimes mentioned in the report. An American national was appointed as the court's prosecutor. However, the court stopped operating several years ago," the Russian foreign minister is quoted as saying.

"Since then, new prosecutors have been appointed twice, the incumbent one is American, but not a single charge has been brought. I doubt there is any clear investigation underway. So Western countries will continue to sweep those facts under the rug that prove they and their underlings are involved in crimes against humanity," Lavrov emphasized.

According to the Russian foreign minister, NATO's bombing campaign was a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. "One time NATO airstrikes hit a passenger train crossing a bridge. And its attack on a television center (RTS) is entirely unacceptable," he said.

Lavrov also said that the 1999 massacre in the village of Racak in Kosovo - which prompted NATO to start talking about the need to use force in Serbia, had been "a deliberate provocation."

"It was not a reason but an artificial excuse. It has long been known that it was a provocation. The killed civilians turned out to be militants from the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army, who had been told to wear civilian clothes. Unfortunately, then OSCE mission chief William Walker was the one who organized that provocation. When he arrived at the scene and saw dead bodies in civilian clothes, he said right away that an act of genocide had taken place there," Lavrov said.

The Russian minister said that Western countries "first started to change international law when they started bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999" and recalled that Russia, China and non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council Argentina and Brazil in the most active way, opposed plans and demands for the use of force.

According to Lavrov, "nothing could stop the Americans."

"They had made this decision this long before and sought the blessing of the Security Council. But when it became clear that this would not succeed, they carried out a unilateral aggression on a sovereign state, violating the UN Charter and the principles of the OSCE, and disturbing the entire world order established after the Second World War," Lavrov said.

In the same documentary, released days ahead of the 20th anniversary of the start of NATO's attacks on Serbia, Lavrov assessed that the western military alliance's air strike against the Chinese embassy in Belgrade on May 7, 1999 may have been intentional.



Last Edit by Gladstone

[Al Bundy]

On yesterday Serbian military parade there were Russian tanks - modified T-72. 
I think is first Serbian military parade since WW2. 



Last Edit by Gladstone

[Al Bundy]

On yesterday Serbian military parade there were Russian tanks - modified T-72. 
I think is first Serbian military parade since WW2. 



Last Edit by Palmerston

US Ambassador in Belgrade K. Scott angry allegedly at the yesterday's military parade, the Serbian Colonel General V. Lazarevic was convicted by the Inquisition in The Hague (ICTY) for "war crimes against Albanians in Kosovo".
In fact, USA is angry about Serbian military parade, increase Serbian military budget, Russian an Belarus help in Arms for
Serbian Army.



P.S. Gen. Vladimir Lazarevic was war commander of Pristina Corps during NATO bombing 1999.

https://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics.php?yyyy=2019&mm=05&dd=10&nav_id=106811



Last Edit by Gladstone

[EvadingGrid]

Wish Russia would supply S-500 to Serbia

You'd get back Kosovo real quick. 



Last Edit by Gladstone

[Al Bundy]

Wish Russia would supply S-500 to Serbia

You'd get back Kosovo real quick. 



Last Edit by Palmerston

Good idea. Like Iran, Algeria...maybe Venezuela. But Aleksandar Vucic have no guts to give Diplomatic immunity to Russo-Serbian Humanitarian Center in Nis.



"I hope that the president (Aleksandar) Vucic and Serbia will oppose any attempt to offer immunity to the humanitarian center in Nis," said US Senator Ron Johnson, president of the Senate Subcommittee on European and Regional Security Cooperation.

Johnson, after a one-hour meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic at Villa Mir in Belgrade, said that it would send a very bad signal and that it would not be in the interest of Serbia in the context of attracting Western capital to help its economy.

"In order for capital to flow from the US and Europe, from Western democracies, the rule of law is necessary and as little corruption as possible. It is also necessary to signal that the country is really 'leaning' towards Western democracies and capitalism of the open market, and contrary to the type of aggression Vladimir Putin is currently demonstrating with Russia, "said Johnson.

Vucic said that Serbia made its decisions in accordance with its interests and that it was not exposed to any kind of aggression.

Speaking about the relationship between Russia and the US, Johnson said that Russia is currently acting as an 'enemy rival': "I would like Russia to be a friendly rival to America and Western civilization, but Russia has become a" hostile rival. " America is ready to wait for Russia to become "friendly rival", but it is a decision that is on Vladimir Putin and Russia. I think that Putin understands that we will oppose his maltreatment and aggression that is not in anybody's interest. "

https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/28703852.html

P.S. To be even worse, the Vucica opposition is liberal and is supported by the USA, the UK, the EU.



Last Edit by Gladstone

[Al Bundy]

Patrushev: Russia will oppose Kosovo's membership in Interpol
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Patrushev: Russia will oppose Kosovo's membership in Interpol
The secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Nikolai Patrushev, stated on June 19 that Russia would support Serbia in the efforts to prevent Kosovo from joining Interpol.

During a meeting with Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic, Patrushev promised that Moscow would support Belgrade at the forthcoming General Assembly of Interpol.

According to the statement by the Serbian Interior Ministry, Stefanovic stressed that Kosovo's repeated application for admission to Interpol was against the basic rules of the international police organization, and against Resolution 1244 of the U.N. Security Council.

Stefanovic said that "the latest raid of the north of Kosovo and Metohija by the Kosovo security forces is proof that Pristina cannot be expected to abide by international law, or the rules of Interpol."

"This is yet more proof that there is no rule of law in Kosovo, because of which the Serbs' safety is even more uncertain," Stefanovic pointed out.


WWW.BETA.RS



Last Edit by Gladstone

[Al Bundy]

The Russians delivered S-400 missile defense system and Pantsir S









Joint Tactical Military Exercise of the Army of Serbia and Russia begins. Russians brought anti-aircraft missile system "S-400" and "Pantsir S"
Source: Tanjug, Sputnik Thursday, October 24, 2019 | 10:46

The joint exercise is held under the name "Slovenian Shield 2019", and it started with missile firing by Anti-Aircraft Defense Units of the Serbian Armed Forces and the Russian Air Force.

The exercise will take place in the area of Colonel-Pilot Milenko Pavlovic Airport in Batajnica and at the "Pasuljanske livade" range, with the involvement of other units in the Air Force and Air Defense of the Serbian Armed Forces, the Serbian Ministry of Defense stated.

The Russian Defense Ministry has announced that the S-400 division and the Pantsir S battery have been transferred to Serbia, where they will participate for the first time in training abroad, Sputnik reported.

The aim of the exercise is to educate and use the joint air defense group of the Serbian Armed Forces and the Russian Federation Air Force in the air defense of the territory and the forces of the army against reconnaissance and airborne enemy actions, as well as training and practicing commands and units for the preparation and execution of the air defense operations.

The exercise commander is the Commander of the 250th Air Defense Missile Brigade, Brigadier General Tiosav Jankovic.

In addition to the air defense missile systems that are part of the Serbian Armed Forces, the exercise will also use air defense missile systems from the Air Force of the Russian Federation.

Russia's TV Star has released a snapshot of the arrival of the S-400 and Pantsir-S systems in Serbia, where it will participate in the "Slovenian Shield 2019" military exercise.



Last Edit by Gladstone

[Al Bundy]

4 Russian battle helicopters Mi35m arrived in Serbia 



rs.sputniknews.com