Nenad Popović, the Minister without portfolio responsible for international economic cooperation and the social position of the church, stated that he expects an agreement between the Presidents of Serbia and Russia in the spring of next year regarding a more favorable price for Russian gas for Serbia, covering a period of three to seven years.
“I expect that in the spring, Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Aleksandar Vučić of Serbia will agree on an even better gas price for Serbian citizens for the next three, five, or seven years,” Popović told Politika, as reported by Beta. Popović, who also serves as co-chair of the Serbian-Russian Intergovernmental Committee for Trade, Economic, and Scientific-Technical Cooperation, reminded that Serbia already has the lowest price of Russian gas in Europe, a result of an agreement between Presidents Vučić and Putin.
“This has been the case for the past ten years, and I am confident that next year will be the same, if not better,” Popović said.
He emphasized that the price of Russian gas benefits Serbia’s economic growth, noting that foreign investors seek the best infrastructure, gas and electricity prices—conditions Serbia offers, which is why 70 percent of foreign investments in the Western Balkans are directed to Serbia.
Popović also highlighted that after three years of stagnation, the intergovernmental committee’s work was revived and cooperation has been intensified.
He pointed out that the committee’s decisions have helped address ongoing challenges, citing the logistics issue of truck transportation from Serbia to Russia, which arose after the conflict in Ukraine.
“This mechanism has allowed our goods to reach Russia much faster and vice versa, and we are also resolving issues faced by companies affected by sanctions,” he added.
Popović also anticipates that the economic exchange between the two countries will match the 2022 results, which amounted to $4.3 billion, according to Politika.
