Serbian Economic, Financial Mission to Visit Russia by End of October

Serbian Finance Minister Dusan Vujovic said that a Serbian economic and financial mission will visit Russia at the end of this month.

LIMA (Sputnik) — A Serbian economic and financial mission will visit Russia at the end of this month to discuss various issues of mutual interest, Serbian Finance Minister Dusan Vujovic told Sputnik.

"As far as I know we plan to have a large mission going to Russia in the last four days of October to discuss whole range of issues," Vujovic stated on the margins of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank summit in Lima, Peru on Friday.

Vujovic noted that the Serbian mission will be headed by Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic.

"It’s going to be a combined economic and financial [mission]," he added.

Aspiring EU member Serbia has maintained friendly relations with Russia despite the EU and US sanctions against Moscow over its alleged involvement in the Ukraine crisis.

Russia has refuted any Western accusations of involvement in Ukraine and pointed out that economic restrictions are counterproductive.

Serbia’s leadership has stated it does not fear that its refusing to mirror EU’s restrictive measures against Moscow will delay the country’s accession to the bloc.

Dusan Vujovic also said that the trade relations between Serbia and Russia have not been affected by Western sanctions against Moscow, however, the payment process has become more difficult.

"[Sanctions] do not affect trade relations between Serbia and Russia," Vujovic said on the margins of the IMF and World Bank summit in Lima, Peru on Friday.

What does affect trade relations, Vujovic added, are "the difficulties in making payments under the sanctions."

Vujovic noted that Serbia maintains "equally good relationship" with both Russia and the West.

"It is in our economic and national interest to maintain good trade and economic relations with Russia. And I hope we will be able to sustain that position," he observed.

The European Union, the United States and their allies imposed several rounds of economic sanctions on Moscow in 2014 over Russia's alleged participation in Ukraine’s conflict.

Moscow has refuted Western allegations of an alleged involvement in Ukraine, stating repeatedly that the economic restrictions are counterproductive.

Serbia, which is a candidate for membership in the European Union, has declined to join the sanctions against Russia.