The key facts

  • Lavrov said talks are underway on additional gas supplies and a new long-term contract with Serbia
  • Moscow declares its commitment to all previously reached agreements
  • Russia expects continuity of the strategic partnership after the formation of Serbia's new government

Talks on a new contract continue

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that negotiations are ongoing on additional supplies of Russian gas to Serbia and on concluding a new long-term contract. The statement was made during his meeting in Moscow with Aleksandar Vulin, chairman of the supervisory board of the Serbian state-owned company Srbijagas.

Commitment to previous agreements

“Right now, talks are continuing on further gas supplies and on a new long-term contract,” Lavrov said. He added that Srbijagas CEO Dušan Bajatović was also in Moscow and emphasized: “We are fully committed to all the agreements we had and still have.” In addition, the Foreign Minister expressed hope that Serbia's new government will ensure continuity of the strategic partnership with Russia and asked Vulin to brief the Moscow side on the latest assessments of the situation in the country.

Context: the North–South corridor

On the same day, in a message to the organizers and participants of the fourth Astrakhan International Forum, Lavrov stated that the development of the international transport corridor “North–South” opens new opportunities for strengthening foreign trade ties and realizing the economic potential of Eurasian countries. According to him, against the backdrop of changes in the global logistics map, the demand for new cargo routes is growing, including through the transit capabilities of the Caspian region. He linked the corridor to President Vladimir Putin's initiative to form a Greater Eurasian Partnership and called the forum a sought-after platform for dialogue between authorities, business, and experts.

What is known and what remains unclear

Only the continuation of talks is reported: neither the timing of concluding the new contract, nor its volumes, nor pricing terms are disclosed in the statement. It is also not specified which additional gas supplies beyond the existing agreements are being discussed. Regarding the Serbian side's position, the available materials provide only indirect evidence — the visit of Srbijagas leadership to Moscow.