Leader of the opposition Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) Milos Jovanovic said in a written statement that Vladimir Putin in Belgrade “unequivocally conveyed” Moscow “in no way supports idea that Serbia should accept secession, respectively division of Kosovo,” BETA news agency reported.

Jovanovic assessed the visit of the Russian President Putin to Serbia as significant “not only because of the signed agreements on cooperation and memorandums of understanding in different areas, but foremost because of a clearly voiced Russian stance that Moscow advocates for reaching a mutually acceptable solution for Kosovo based on UN SC Resolution 1244.”

“By such stance, Vladimir Putin unequivocally conveyed that Russia in no way supports idea that Serbia should accept the secession of its southern province, even through delineation between Serbs and Albanians based on ethnic principle, respectively division of Kosovo,” Jovanovic said.

According to Jovanovic, Putin “clearly said Serbia has guarantees Russia would protect its territorial integrity as long as its authorities are doing so.”