The Serbian and Russian presidents were invited to attend World War II commemorations hosted by Xi Jinping in Beijing
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has said he hopes to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during a visit to China in early September, where both leaders are due to attend commemorative events hosted by President Xi Jinping.
The ceremony will mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II on September 3.
“From September 1 to 6, I will be in China. They told me that Putin will probably be there, and that maybe I’ll meet with him,” Vucic said during a visit to the village of Banstol on Sunday, according to Serbian outlet Tanjug.
He added that he was also asked to remain in Beijing for another diplomatic gathering later that week.
“I hear that maybe (US President Donald) Trump will come, I’m not sure,” he stated. “They announced to me that there will be a dinner on the 5th in particular, and the 3rd is for Xi Jinping, where everyone will be. They told me that some of the great world leaders will be celebrating the 5th in China, so they asked me to stay.”
In May, the Serbian president traveled to Moscow to attend Victory Day celebrations, despite a health issue that forced him to cut short a US visit and cancel a planned meeting with Trump in Florida. He was joined in Russia by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, despite pressure from Brussels.
During that trip, he met with Putin and reaffirmed Serbia’s commitment to long-term energy cooperation with Russia.
Serbia remains one of the few European countries that has refused to impose sanctions on Russia or openly back Ukraine. Vucic previously said the EU continues to pressure Serbia to abandon its neutrality and sever ties with Moscow.
