Russian President Vladimir Putin and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic discussed further cooperation in the energy, oil and gas, transport and healthcare sectors during a phone call, the Kremlin said on Saturday.
The leaders discussed various aspects of further developing the Russian-Serbian strategic partnership, according to the statement.
"Various aspects of the further development of Russian-Serbian strategic partnership relations were discussed, including in the energy, oil and gas industry, transport and healthcare," it said.
The discussion comes as Serbia faces uncertainty over its energy cooperation with Russia. The current Russian gas supply arrangement is due to expire at the end of September, while the US license allowing Serbia's Russian-owned oil company NIS to continue operating is also set to expire on Sept. 30.
Russia has remained Serbia's main gas supplier, with Russian gas accounting for more than 80% of Serbian supplies.
Under the latest extension agreed on in June, Gazprom continued deliveries to Serbia on "stable and affordable terms."
In March, Vucic said Serbia was paying about $320-$330 per 1,000 cubic meters under the oil-linked formula, compared to about $690 for gas purchased at the then-prevailing TTF market price.
Russian gas reaches Serbia via the TurkStream pipeline through Türkiye and Bulgaria. The Balkan Stream section of the system then carries the gas across Serbia toward Hungary and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The route replaced the previous transit arrangement through Ukraine and Hungary and, according to Serbian authorities, significantly reduced transportation costs.
The leaders also discussed transport links. Serbia has remained the only European country with direct scheduled air links to Russia since the EU banned Russian carriers from its airspace in 2022, with Air Serbia continuing to operate flights to Russian cities.
In September, Russia also granted Serbian airlines the right to operate regular flights to Kaliningrad. At the same time, the continuation of the direct air links has remained politically sensitive amid pressure on Serbia over its relations with Moscow.
There have also been reports and speculation about Serbia introducing visa requirements for Russian citizens. Vucic confirmed in June that Serbia has no plans to introduce such a measure, stating that the government has not even considered it.
Vucic thanked Russia for its support of Serbia and expressed particular gratitude for Russian assistance in fighting forest fires.
The Serbian president congratulated Putin on the successful State Duma elections and briefed him on preparations for snap parliamentary elections in Serbia.
"Both sides stressed the inadmissibility of external interference in electoral processes," the statement read.
The leaders also touched on international issues, including the conflict in Ukraine. Vucic shared his impressions of his participation in the high-level week of the 81st UN General Assembly session in New York.
During an exchange of views on the situation in the Balkans, Putin and Vucic stressed the importance of preserving the Dayton framework in Bosnia and Herzegovina and ensuring the legitimate rights and interests of Republika Srpska, the Kremlin said.
