Vucic rejects Putin's party, 'chooses' the West

Aleksandar Vucic has refused an invitation from Vladimir Putin. The President of Serbia confirmed that he will not attend the BRICS summit in Kazan in October, despite having received the invitation from his Russian counterpart 12 days ago.

"Thanks to President Putin and the BRICS people, but we have a very important visit on those dates, not to mention the trip to the United States of America. We have a lot of important visits, as the kids say - a crowd in the penalty area. We also have New York and I already know that I will have talks with at least six presidents and at least seven or eight prime ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session," said Vucic.

He also said that the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade will be celebrated on October 20 by thanking the Red Army, which he said, along with Russia, largely helped in that liberation.

Vucic was asked about Serbia's position between East and West, with the answer signaling that he will continue to sit on a few chairs. "Serbia is in its own country, in Europe, but maintains traditional ties and friendships with Russia, China and Azerbaijan", he emphasized.

Vucic's rejection of the invitation comes just one day after Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin met Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Kremlin chief criticized Belgrade for demanding a meeting between the leaders as soon as possible to address the decline in the volume of trade between Serbia and Russia, as well as to renew the gas supply contract.

The focus of the talks were also the tensions in the Balkans, which, as the Kremlin said earlier, deeply concern Moscow. Vulin complained to the Russian president that the situation in Kosovo is difficult and that Pristina is trying to carry out ethnic cleansing of the Serbs.