The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, arrived in Moscow on May 7, according to footage broadcast by Russian state television.
The Serbian leader is set to attend the Victory Day Parade on Red Square.
His plane made a stopover in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, before continuing to the Russian capital, according to Serbia’s public broadcaster RTS, citing the Tanjug news agency.
According to the Kremlin, a bilateral meeting is scheduled for May 9 between Vučić and Russian President Vladimir Putin, RTS reported.
Back in early March, Vučić announced that he would attend the military parade commemorating Victory Day over fascism after a phone conversation with Putin.
On May 9, Russia will mark the 80th anniversary of the victory over fascism in World War II with a military parade on Moscow’s Red Square, along with various other commemorative events.
Vučić’s planned visit to Russia has sparked reactions from European institutions.
European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, stated in a press conference on April 29 that “it’s up to the president of Serbia to decide whether to go to Moscow,” but added that if he does, “it will be much harder for me to help Serbia stay committed to the European path.”
Among European leaders, only Vučić and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico — known for his ties with the Kremlin — have confirmed their attendance.
Milorad Dodik, President of the Republika Srpska entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has also announced his participation in Moscow.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will also travel to Russia.
According to Russian state agency RIA Novosti, other confirmed attendees of the May 9 parade include the presidents of Belarus (Alexander Lukashenko), Kazakhstan (Kassym-Jomart Tokayev), Azerbaijan (Ilham Aliyev), Venezuela (Nicolas Maduro), and Brazil (Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva). Representatives from Congo and Burkina Faso will also attend on behalf of their countries.
