SERBIA-RUSSIAN FEDERATION

BILATERAL POLITICAL RELATIONS

Serbia and Russia maintain diplomatic relations since 1838. The State Union of Serbia and Montenegro has diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation at the ambassadorial level. Milan Rocen is the Ambassador of Serbia and Montenegro in Moscow. The Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Belgrade is Vladimir Yevgenyevitch Ivanovski.

Yugoslavia recognized Russia in December 1991 by the Decision of the Presidency of the SFRY on the recognition of the former republics of the USSR. Diplomatic relations between Yugoslavia and the USSR were established on 24 June 1940, and Serbia and Montenegro and the Russian Federation recognize the continuity of all inter-State documents signed between the two countries. There are about 70 bilateral treaties, agreements and protocols signed in the past. Serbia and Montenegro and the Russian Federation have signed and ratified 43 bilateral agreements and treaties in diverse areas of mutual cooperation so far.

Inter-State visits and meetings at the high and highest levels particularly enhance bilateral relations.

Meetings between Top Leaders and High-ranking Officials of the Two Countries 2000/2001:

October 2000 - Meeting between the President of the FRY, V. Koštunica and the President of the Russian Federation, V. Putin, in Moscow
January 2001 - Visit by the FRY Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs, G. Svilanović, to Moscow
February 2001 - Visit by the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, I. Sergeyev, to Belgrade
February 2001 - Visit by the FRY Federal Vice-Premier and Federal Minister for Foreign Economic Relations, M. Labus, to Moscow
February 2001 - Visit by the Premier of the Republic of Serbia, Z. Đinđić, to Moscow
March 2001 - Visit by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, I. Ivanov, to Belgrade
March 2001 - Visit by the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, V. Rushailo, to Belgrade
April 2001 - Visit by the FRY Federal Premier, Z. Žižić, to Moscow
April 2001 - Visit by the Chairman of the Russian part of the Inter-Governmental Committee for Trade, A. Dondukov, to Belgrade
June 2001 - Visit by the President of the Russian Federation, V. Putin, to Belgrade and meeting with FRY President V. Koštunica
November 2001 - Visit by the Federal Minister of Defense, S. Krapović, to Moscow
December 2001 - Visit by the Federal Vice-Premier and Federal Minister for Foreign Economic Relations, M. Labus, to Moscow

Visits in 2002 :

January - Visit by His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Pavle to Moscow
February - Visit by the President of the Chamber of Commerce of Yugoslavia, S. Korać, to Moscow
February - Visit by the Vice-Premier of the Republic of Serbia and Head of the Coordinating Center for Kosovo and Metohija, N. Čović, to Moscow; meeting with RF Foreign Minister I. Ivanov
February - Visit by a delegation of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation to Belgrade
March - Visit by a delegation of the State Duma to the FRY
April - Visit by the Vice-Premier of the Republic of Serbia and Head of the Coordinating Center for Kosovo and Metohija, N. Čović, to Moscow; meeting with RF Foreign Minister I. Ivanov
May - Visit by the RF Deputy Foreign Minister, S. Razov, to the FRY
June - Visit by the RF Minister for Trade and Economic Development, G. Gref, to Belgrade
June - Participation of the FRY Federal Assembly delegation, headed by the President of the Chamber of Republics, Srđa Božović, in the Petersburg Economic Forum
June - Visit by the Mayoress of Belgrade, R. Hrustanović, to Moscow
End of August - Early September - Visit by the President of the Chamber of Trade and Industry of the Russian Federation, J. Primakov, to the FRY; meetings with the President of the FRY, V. Koštunica, Federal Vice-Premier M. Labus, Premier of the Republic of Serbia, Z. Đinđić, Federal Foreign Minister G. Svilanović
September - Visit by the RF Minister of Culture, M. Shvidkoy, on the occasion of the Opening Ceremony of the Days of Russian Culture in Serbia and Montenegro
September - Meeting between FRY President V. Koštunica and RF Premier M. Kasyanov at the Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg
September - Meeting between FRY President V. Koštunica and Federal Foreign Minister G. Svilanović and RF Foreign Minister I. Ivanov at the 57th session of the UN General Assembly in New York

Visits in 2003:

January - Expert talks on the debt settlement between the successor countries and the Russian Federation, in Moscow
February - Visit by the Vice Premier of the Republic of Serbia and Head of the Coordinating Center for Kosovo and Metohija, N. Covic, to Moscow (talks with Foreign Minister i Ivanov)
February - Visit by the business delegation of the city of Moscow.
March - The RF delegation attending the funeral of the Prime Minister Dr. Zoran Djindjic (Assistant Foreign Minister V. Chizhov)
April - Visit by Foreign Minister Svilanovic to the Russian Federation.
May - Visit by the Speaker of the Parliament of Serbia and Montenegro, Dr. Mieunovic, to the Russian Federation.
July - Visit by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Montenegro, M. Djukanovic, to the Russian Federation. Consultations between Assistant Foreign Minister A. Joksimovic and Director of the Directorate for Analysis and Planning of the MFA, V. Veres, in Moscow.
September - Visit by Mr. R. Ljajic, Minister for Human and Minority Rights of Serbia and Montenegro, to the RF
September - Visit by V. Milovanovic, Minister of Religion, to the RF
September - Visit by A. Mihajlov, Minister for the Protection of Natural Resources and the Environment of the Republic of Serbia.
November - Visit by Mr. B. Djelic, Minister of Finance and Economy, to Moscow

Visits in 2004:

March - Working visit by the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Mr. S. Razov.
March - Working visit by the Minister for Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation, Mr. S. Shojgu.
May - Working visit by the Minister of Trade and Tourism Mr. B. Dimitrijevic to Moscow, signing of the Memorandum on Trade and Economic Cooperation between the Republic of Serbia and the city of Moscow.
June - Meeting between Prime Minister of Serbia V. Kostunica and President of the Russian Federation V. Putin, Sochi
June - Working visit by Foreign Minister of Serbia and Montenegro V. Draskovic to the Russian Federation.
June - Working visit by Serbia and Montenegrin Defence Minister P. Davinic to the Russian Federation.
June - Negotiations between the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Serbia, M. Dinkic and the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Montenegro, I. Luksic, with the Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation, A. Kudrin. Signing of the Memorandum on the Debt Settlement of the former USSR towards the former SFRY.
June - July - Working visit by the President of State Duma of the Russian Federation, B. Gryzlov, to Serbia and Montenegro.
November-December - Serbia and Montenegro Minister for International Economic Relations visited the Russian Federation and attended the Inter-Governmental Committee for Trade, Economic and Scientific and Technological Cooperation between the two countries in the capacity of the Co-Chairman of the Committee.

Visits and meetings in 2005:

February Plenipotentiary of the Russian President for the Central Federal District G. Poltavchenko and his party of business people with an interest in economic cooperation with Serbia and Montenegro visited the country.
March Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Cooperation in the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation K. Kosachov visited Serbia and Montenegro.
April Russian President’s Special Envoy for Cooperation on International Terrorism and Organised Crime A. Safonov visited Serbia and Montenegro.
April Russian Deputy Foreign Minister V. Chizhov visited Serbia and Montenegro to attend the Contact Group meeting in Belgrade.
April Speaker of the Serbia and Montenegro Parliament Z. Sami visited the Russian Federation and participated at the International Parliamentary Conference in St. Petersburg.
May Serbia and Montenegro President S. Marovic visited the Russian Federation to attend the ceremonies to mark the 60th anniversary of V Day on 9 May in Moscow.
May Head of the Coordination Centre for Kosovo and Metohija N. Covic visited the Russian Federation.
May President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry S. Milosavljevic visited the Russian Federation.
October Special Balkans Representative of the Russian Foreign Minister and his country’s Contact Group representative A.A. Bocan-Harchenko visited Serbia and Montenegro.
November Speaker of the Serbia and Montenegro Parliament Z. Sami visited the Russian Federation.
November Russian Foreign Minister S. Lavrov visited Serbia and Montenegro.
November Republic of Serbia President B. Tadic visited the RF.
November Serbia and Montenegro Foreign Minister V. Draskovic visited the RF.
November-December Serbian Prime Minister V. Kostunica visited the Russian Federation in his capacity as sponsor of the National Exhibition of Serbia in Moscow.

ECONOMIC RELATIONS

Russia is an important partner in Serbia and Montenegro’s economic cooperation with the world and is in first place in terms of trade volume. Commodity trade between the two countries in 2005 increased over that in 2004 and in the first nine months of this year amounted to more than US$ 1,366 billion. Exports from Serbia and Montenegro amounted to US$ 159 million, while its imports amounted to US$ 1.207 billion. The structure of their trade remained the same.

Energy sources (oil, oil products and gas making up 83.5 per cent on the import side), raw materials and machine-building products account for the preponderant part of imports from the Russian Federation, while Serbia and Montenegro exports pharmaceutical products, flooring, machines, equipment, food, textiles and other consumer goods.

There exist possibilities and interest in cooperation in energy, metal and agricultural complex, mining, chemical, pharmaceutical and light industries, in the fields of construction and services.

CULTURAL-EDUCATIONAL COOPERATION

The FR of Yugoslavia and the Russian Federation signed the Agreement on cooperation in the Fields of Culture, Education, Science and Sports on 19 July 1995. Based on this Agreement a Program of Cooperation in the Areas of Education, Science and Culture was signed in December 2001 for the period 2002-2004. The Days of Culture of the Russian Federation were held in Serbia and Montenegro in 2002 and those of Serbia and Montenegro in the Russian Federation in 2003.

November 2005