Ukraine's President Zelenskiy Visits Serbia to Discuss Economic Cooperation and EU Bids
Main Developments of Zelenskiy's Visit to Serbia
Arrival and Diplomatic Engagements
BELGRADE, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in Serbia on Friday for his first visit to the Balkan country expected to focus on economic cooperation and bids by both countries to secure European Union membership.
Zelenskiy posted a video on Telegram showing his arrival ahead of talks with populist President Aleksandar Vucic and other officials.
Key Discussion Topics
"We will be speaking about expanding economic ties between our countries, relations with the European Union, and other things that can work for our peoples, as well as security issues," Zelenskiy wrote.
Potential Impact on International Relations
Zelenskiy's visit will likely sour ties between Serbia and Russia, its long-time ally and main natural gas supplier.
Statements from Serbian Leadership
On Thursday, Vucic said the two leaders would discuss European Union accession bids as well as economic and energy cooperation.
Reporting and Editorial Credits
(Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic, Editing by Ron Popeski and Nick Zieminski)
