Vulin: Vucic has not turned down Putin's invitation, to speak with him by phone

BELGRADE - Serbian Deputy PM Aleksandar Vulin said on Friday President Aleksandar Vucic had not turned down an invitation by Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend an upcoming BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, and that the two presidents would discuss the matter by phone.

"Serbia and Russia are strategic partners and nothing can change that. Above all, President Vucic and President Putin are friends and people who respect each other exceptionally highly," Vulin told the RTS after a visit to the Russian city of Vladivostok, where he met with Putin.

"At the meeting I had with the president of Russia, President Putin expressed great respect for President Vucic and I had the honour of conveying President Vucic's sincere and brotherly respect to President Putin," he added.

"President Vucic accepted the invitation by President Putin to attend the BRICS session in Kazan. It is a great honour for both President Vucic and the Republic of Serbia, and he did not turn down that invitation," Vulin said.

He noted that some media outlets had immediately "deliberately attempted to twist" Vucic's statement about his busy schedule.

"Whether he will go or not will be agreed, among other ways, with President Putin in a telephone call that has already been arranged. It will not be done through the media," Vulin said.