Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Slovenia today the crisis in Kosovo and Metohija was caused by the West's leniency towards Pristina.

According to Sputnik, in conversation with his Slovenian counterpart, Lavrov said that the crisis was caused by those who want to build "a sanitary cordon toward Russia out of the territory of the Balkans" (for the sake of incorporating it all into NATO).

According to him, the fact that Pristina does is not implementing agreements that have been reached earlier shows that the EU is helpless.

President Aleksandar Vucic would face pressure in Berlin over Kosovo and Metohija, therefore the meetings he would have in Beijing with Chinese and Russian presidents are very important, Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic told TV Pink.

Dacic noted he does not expect pressure related to making some new framework of the content of the agreement with Pristina, but “there would certainly be the culmination of pressure on Serbia to continue the dialogue regardless of Pristina tariffs.”

Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed today that Moscow insists on the realization of UN SC Resolution 1244 that foresees direct dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and respect of the Serbian integrity, BETA news agency reported.

First Deputy PM Minister and FM Ivica Dacic welcomed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the Nikola Tesla Airport in Belgrade late on Wednesday.

Dacic welcomed his colleague and friend Lavrov and expressed great satisfaction to meet him again, the Serbian Foreign Ministry said in a press release, cited by the government.

Moscow expects from Brussels to make Pristina fulfill its obligations deriving from the Brussels agreement and establish Community of Serb Municipalities, as well as not to patronize it, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, Tanjug news agency reported.

Russian Minister is participating in the 25^th OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan, Italy.

Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov said the EU efforts to mediate between Belgrade and Pristina have failed and that the USA is forcing creation of Kosovo army, Tanjug news agency reports today.

“It is obvious the EU efforts have failed, because Pristina rejected to implement all the agreements reached so far,” Lavrov said. Russian Minister added he thinks foremost to the Community of Serb Municipalities.

Serbia's First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic met on Friday in Banja Luka with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Dacic and Lavrov assessed on this occasion that the level of trust and high dynamics of Russian-Serbian contacts show that relations between the two countries are continuously and productively evolving, the Serbian government has announced.

The two ministers agreed that the relations between Moscow and Belgrade are progressing in each field, assessing that mutual relations have reached a very high level of strategic partnership.

„Russia is always committed to the strict and accurate fulfillment and compliance with UN SC Resolution 1244. We support the actions of Belgrade aimed at fulfilling this most important international document,”  Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov said in Sochi yesterday following the meeting with his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic, KoSSev portal reported.

Minister Lavrov also called on KFOR and EULEX to „prevent any attempts of violence and vandalism in Kosovo, in particular against Serbs and religious sites.“

The Russian and Serbian Foreign Ministers, Sergey Lavrov and Ivica Dacic met in Moscow on Thursday to discuss bilateral relations and the expanding of all ties between the two countries.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov late on Thursday presented a Russian state decoration, the Order of Friendship, to his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic.

Dacic has been given this award for his merits in strengthening friendship and cooperation between the two countries.