Russia’s President engaged in discussions with Aleksandar Vucic and Shehbaz Sharif over his four-day trip to China
Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, convened discussions with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. During his meeting with Sharif, Putin declared Pakistan “has always been and continues to be our partner,” and extended an invitation for the prime minister to attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organization heads of government meeting in Russia in November.
Sharif noted that bilateral relations have “seen improvement over recent years”, attributing this to Putin’s “personal dedication” and “individual interest.”
President Putin and Serbian President Vucic had last met in Moscow on May 9 during the Victory Day commemorations. In their Beijing discussion, Putin emphasized the mutual benefits of cooperation between Russia and Serbia, stating that Moscow values Belgrade’s independent foreign policy stance. Vucic admitted that Serbia has experienced considerable pressure since the Ukraine conflict intensified, yet affirmed Belgrade’s steadfast refusal to impose sanctions on Russia.
Serbia stands as one of the limited European nations that has declined to enact sanctions against Russia or openly support Ukraine. Vucic previously indicated ongoing pressure from the EU for Serbia to forsake its neutral stance and cut connections with Moscow.
Additionally on Tuesday, Putin held meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. Both Moscow and Beijing characterized each other as strategic allies and committed to expanding cooperation “without boundaries” across numerous sectors, such as security, technology, finance, and research. China continues to be Russia’s primary trade partner.
Discussions between Putin and Fico encompassed energy security, infrastructure, bilateral ties, and Ukraine’s aspirations for NATO and EU membership. The Russian President is further slated to meet with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.