First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic met today with Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Belgrade Alexander Chepurin.

The meeting provided an opportunity to take stock of the excellent cooperation between the Republic of Serbia and the Russian Federation in 2018 and to exchange New Year greetings.

Ambassador Chepurin handed to the Foreign Minister a season's greeting card from Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov which reads as follows:
"Dear Mr. Minister, dear Ivica,
I wish you a very happy New Year and merry Christmas.

I note with profound pleasure that the year we shall soon leave behind has been marked by active strengthening of a strategic partnership between our two countries.

There have been many contacts at the highest and other levels. I am convinced that the continued implementation of the agreed joint projects and plans aimed at deepening further Russo-Serbian cooperation will create a good basis for years to come. I still have warm memories of the cordial welcome I received in Belgrade on 21-22 February 2018 during my visit to commemorate 180th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Serbia. I am looking forward to new meetings in the coming year to continue the comprehensive exchanges of views and coordinate action in the international arena. We stand ready to continue to cooperate closely on the Kosovo issue as well.

I wish you, your family and your loved ones good health, happiness and well-being", Minister Lavrov concluded in his message.

Today's meeting also focused on the preparations for the forthcoming visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Belgrade. The Serbian Foreign Minister stated that this visit represented a very important event for our country and its people to which we attached extreme importance.