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Sergey Lavrov (May 25)
Photo: IMAGO/Mikhail Tereshchenko / IMAGO/ITAR-TASS
According to information from Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov cannot travel to Serbia on a planned two-day visit this Monday because he did not have a flight permit.
According to the Russian agency Interfax, a high-ranking ministry official confirmed a corresponding Serbian media report on Sunday.
Accordingly, Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro would not have given permission for the Russian government aircraft to fly over.
Lavrov is on a Western sanctions list because of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
In addition, European airspace is closed to Russian aircraft.
The minister wanted to meet with the Serbian leadership to talk about supplying the country with Russian energy, for example.
When asked whether the visit had been canceled, the ministry official replied: "Diplomacy has not yet acquired the ability to beam."
Serbian media had previously reported on the cancellation of Lavrov's visit to Belgrade because there was no overflight permit.
On Sunday, Lavrov surprisingly invited foreign journalists to a press conference this Monday.
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic told Pink television on Sunday that the situation surrounding Lavrov's visit was "extraordinarily complicated".
She referred to "logistical" difficulties, particularly with regard to the overflight rights on the route of the Russian chief diplomat.
Brnabic said President Aleksandar Vucic had held talks "with representatives of Russia, the United States, Germany and the EU" in preparation for Lavrov's visit.
Serbia is applying for EU membership, but has traditionally maintained good relations with Russia.
Country binds itself to Russia for years
While the EU is heading towards a significant reduction in Russian energy supplies in response to the Ukraine war and recently agreed on a far-reaching oil embargo against Russia, Serbia continues to rely on close cooperation with Russia in this area.
The country is almost entirely dependent on Russian energy supplies and imports around six million cubic meters of gas from Russia every day.
Moscow also owns a majority stake in the Serbian oil and gas company NIS.
In May, Vucic agreed in a telephone call with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin to extend Russian gas supplies by three years on favorable terms.
It was "by far the best deal in Europe," the Serbian President said at the time.
jok/dpa
