Vučić after one-hour phone call with Putin: gas, NIS and bilateral relations in focus

Belgrade, September 26 — Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić held a one-hour phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he described as “good and substantive” in a post on his Instagram account, buducnostsrbijeav, carried by the Tanjug agency.

According to the announcement, the main topic of the conversation was the gas deal between Serbia and Russia, which expires on September 30, as nistv.rs reports. Vučić expressed hope for its extension and for a stable gas supply for the country. Serbia currently pays 318 euros per 1,000 cubic meters of Russian gas, compared to a market price of 868 euros — a fact that makes this issue key to the country’s energy security.

The two presidents also discussed the issue of Naftna industrija Srbije (NIS), with Vučić’s hope for a good solution for both sides. The conversation also touched on bilateral relations, the situation in the region, the conflict in Ukraine and other topics of common interest.

Vučić thanked Putin for Russia’s help in extinguishing the wildfires that have affected parts of Serbia. Meanwhile, he informed the Russian president that on September 27 he resigns from the post of President of Serbia, thanking him for 14 years of cooperation.

As part of intensive energy diplomacy, during his stay in New York on September 25, Vučić also met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about the new gas deal. Energy security remains a key topic for Belgrade, with the deal’s expiry approaching and uncertainty over NIS’s future.