Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov cancelled his visit to Siberia as Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro closed their airspace for the minister.
Notably, Lavrov had been due to hold talks in Belgrade on Monday, June 6, with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. But the latest move from the three countries led to the cancellation of the Russian leader. The same had been echoed by Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova during her conversation with Italy’s La7 television channel on Sunday. She confirmed that the Russian delegation was scheduled to hold talks in Belgrade, however, the trip had to be canceled as the EU and NATO member countries have closed their airspace.
“The countries bordering Serbia have closed the only air route to the aircraft of Sergey Lavrov who was to depart for Serbia,” she said. Notably, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who was re-elected for a second term, has been facing tough challenges due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. The country’s application for European Union membership is stuck in limbo as it maintains close ties with Russia. Also, it did not join western sanctions against Moscow due to its high dependence on Russian oil. Currently, it is managing to secure Russian natural gas supplies while other EU countries have been cut off for declining to pay in Russian currency.
Serbian oil industry facing issues in importing Russian oil
Though Serbia had voted in favour of UN resolutions that condemn the Russian bloodbath in Ukraine, the President said the country will never be a part of the anti-Russian hysteria. Notably, the EU imposed fresh sanctions on Russian energy and the country’s largest bank, Sberbank, as retaliation for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Earlier on Sunday, the Serbian Ministry of Mining and Energy said that the country was facing challenges in importing Russian energy. However, the ministry affirmed that it is making every effort to ensure a secure supply.
-Republic World