Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received on Friday credentials from the newly appointed Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, B92 reports.

Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko who is a Balkan expert, spoke to Vucic in the Serbian language and said that he was honored to be able to deliver letters of credit to the Serbian President. He pointed out that he wants to work on further improvement of cooperation between Serbia and Russia, which is already at an extraordinary level.

Permanent Representative of Russia to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich said Russia expects Albania, when it takes over the Chairmanship of OSCE to have a neutral stance on the process of resolving the Kosovo issue, Vecernje Novosti reported.

He also told members of the OSCE Permanent Council that the situation in Kosovo remains a serious challenge to European security. According to him Kosovo is “a grey zone” for smuggling drugs and organized crime.

Lukashevich also noted the UN SC 1244 still represents a basis for regulating the Kosovo issue.

Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic stated for Italian daily "la Repubblica" that "Kosovo presents focal point of instability in the Balkan region," B92 reports.

Dacic added that Belgrade "put up great efforts into the dialogue while Pristina constantly undermines it", pointing out that "Pristina's authorities do not want compromise".

Despite his standpoint against EU expansion, French President Emmanuel Macron comes to Belgrade with a message that France supports Serbia's EU integration.

This is according to Belgrade-based newspaper Blic that further said President Macron will pass on to the President of Serbia that France supports Serbia in resolving an open conflict with Kosovo Albanians. In this context, daily states that Macron's relations towards Pristina's representatives had changed, stressing that this change of course of French President in favor of Serbia is novelty.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told national broadcaster RTS that reaching agreement with Albanians would present a valuable heritage for the future.

Still, he pointed out it is impossible to reach an agreement with Albanians as they say that "we have to recognize Kosovo within current border lines". I had always thought this is the issue that should be resolved solely by the Serbs and Albanians, and we could have succeeded in making a deal if they let us alone, Vucic concluded.

United Kingdom and United States appointed experienced diplomats for their ambassadors to Serbia, presenting their countries in Moscow before Belgrade-based daily Politika reported.

Former Deputy Head of Mission of Great Britain in Moscow Sian MacLeod will replace Dennis Keefe on the position of Head of Mission of Great Britain to Serbia. Another "deputy" from the leading western embassy in Moscow comes to Belgrade to hold the position of the US Ambassador, Politika daily claims.

As US President Donald Trump confirmed, Kyle Scott will be succeeded by Anthony F. Godfrey.

The West's pressure on Serbia is obvious, and the US and its allies are encouraging Kosovo to maintain tensions in the region, said Russia's new ambassador to Serbia, Alexander Bocan-Harchenko.

According to the Sputnik portal, he pointed out that these pressures are felt during the pre-accession negotiations that the European Union leads with Serbia, while the Americans are doing it in an even stronger way.

There never was nor will there ever be any trade with the Kosovo issue when Russia is concerned, Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Chepurin said adding that the UN's Resolution 1244 remains the only basis for a political solution to the Kosovo issue.

Belgrade based daily Blic writes today about a Russian, an excellent connoisseur of the issues of Southeast Europe, and especially of Kosovo, and an American, who is appreciated as a connoisseur of Russian affairs.

These two are new ambassadors to Belgrade - Russian and American - who will soon begin their service in Serbia. Both arrive from Moscow.

Aleksandar Vucic, Serbia's President, said on Wednesday that his country and Russia had strategic and partner relations of mutual respect and understanding, the Beta news agency reported.

During a celebration of the Russian Day at Moscow's embassy in Belgrade, Vucic said that "every big day for Russia is equally big and important for Serbia."

He read the congratulatory note he sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin in which he said he was "sincerely happy for Russian achievements."