Serbia seeks to strengthen ties with China and Russia

Serbian President AleksandarVučić met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9 to strengthen Belgrade’s strategic alignment with Beijing, amid growing global polarization and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

,,I am here to thank you’’, the Serbian leader told Chinese officials. ,,We are glad that you respect Serbia’s territorial integrity, and we, in turn, respect one principle – one China!’’.

Vučić also reaffirmed his commitment to the strategic partnership between the two countries, which has seen China invest billions of dollars in financing industrial projects. Chinese companies have played a major role in developing Serbia’s transport and energy networks, including the high-speed railway between Belgrade and Budapest.

The Serbian leader acknowledged, however, that he had also come to Moscow to negotiate a new multi-year gas contract with Russian President Vladimir Putin before a three-year supply agreement expires at the end of this month.

Serbia is heavily dependent on Russia for its natural gas imports and pays just $275 per thousand cubic meters under the current contract with Moscow – far less than the current price on the European market.

Vučić made a controversial decision to attend the parade despite an EU ban on European officials attending public events in Russia, which also extends to candidate countries for membership of the Union, and such actions could jeopardize Serbia’s long-term European path.