Serbia’s Srbijagas Director Dušan Bajatović has distanced himself from the Moscow trip made by former Security Intelligence Agency (BIA) chief Aleksandar Vulin and Serbian People’s Party leader Nenad Popović, saying he does not know why the two officials were traveling to Russia.
In an interview with N1, Bajatović said his own visit had a specific purpose: discussing gas supplies for the winter and addressing payment difficulties affecting transactions with Russian partners.
His comments came after an Air Serbia flight from Belgrade to Moscow was forced to return to the Serbian capital following a security notification involving one of the passengers.
Bajatović said that after the aircraft returned, all approximately 150 passengers, most of them Russian citizens, underwent renewed and detailed security checks, including inspections of their luggage.
According to him, passengers were escorted by police to a separate screening area but were not given a specific explanation for the aircraft’s return.
“We were informed that we had to undergo an entirely new procedure. All the luggage was thoroughly checked, without any particular reason being given to us other than that it was a security procedure,” he said.
Bajatović said he could not confirm reports that Vulin had failed to complete security screening before boarding. He also expressed the expectation that Vulin would continue his journey to Moscow.
However, he said he had no knowledge of the reasons behind Vulin’s and Popović’s trips to Russia.
“Why Mr. Popović and Mr. Vulin were traveling, I really don’t know,” Bajatović said.
Gas supplies and payment difficulties
Unlike the two officials, Bajatović said his visit to Moscow was directly related to Serbia’s energy needs.
He explained that he intended to discuss securing additional gas supplies for the winter, as well as finding solutions to payment problems reportedly linked to the Alta Bank case.
According to Bajatović, disruptions to some payment channels have complicated financial transactions with Russian partners. He therefore planned to discuss gas deliveries, flexibility in supply arrangements and alternative payment methods.
He also described his limited interaction with Vulin and Popović during the flight, saying he had greeted both men but had not spoken with them.
“We greeted each other, but I slept almost the entire time. Only when the captain announced that we had landed in Belgrade did I realize what was happening,” he said.
Air Serbia previously confirmed that flight JU134 returned to Belgrade after the airline received a notification from airport authorities that one passenger required additional security checks. The company did not identify the passenger involved.
