Russian presidential candidate First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev Wednesday met here with Serbian presidential hopeful Tomislav Nikolic, who is against Kosovo's independence. Nikolic has won the first round of Serbia's presidential voting.
"We have come to express gratitude for the support given by Russia to Serbia, which is working for the preservation of Kosovo as part of its territory," Itar-Tass news agency quoted Nikolic assaying at the meeting.
The nationalist leader of the Serb Radical Party is to challenge Serbia's pro-European candidate, President Boris Tadic, in the Feb. 3 run-off after taking a five-point lead in the first round on Jan. 20.
Medvedev, who is nominated by the ruling United Russia party and endorsed by President Vladimir Putin for the March 2 race, hailed the existing ties between Moscow and Belgrade.
"Many positive events have taken place of late, including in the sphere of economic cooperation. Agreements on the development of cooperation in the oil and gas sphere were signed," Itar-Tass quoted Medvedev as saying.
Last Friday, Russia and Serbia inked an intergovernmental agreement, which will turn Serbia into a key partner in the delivery of Russian gas to the southern part of Europe. Tadic came to Moscow to attend the signing ceremony.
Following failed talks between Belgrade and Pristina on the future status of the breakaway Serbian province, Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leaders have vowed to unilaterally declare independence in early 2008.
The United States and a number of European countries have pledged to recognize Kosovo's independence, but Serbia and Russia have said they would oppose any such move.
Source: Xinhua
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