BELGRADE, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday exchanged views with high-level Serbian officials on future development of the strategic cooperation between the two countries.

Lavrov, who arrived here Tuesday for an official visit, held separate meetings with his Serbian counterpart Nikola Selakovic and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

According to a press release from the president's office, Lavrov and Vucic discussed plans for future cooperation in energy, defense, infrastructure, agriculture and other areas.

"We reaffirmed the strategic commitment ... to continue to develop our relations in various spheres of social life on the basis of friendship and mutual respect," Vucic said.

Vucic confirmed that by the end of this year Serbia will start receiving Russian gas through the TurkStream pipeline, and estimated that it will give a significant boost to the Serbian industry and generate economic growth in 2021.

Moreover, he reassured that Serbia will stick to its decision not to impose sanctions towards Russia as many western countries did, and that it will remain militarily neutral, and "will not be a part of any military blocs."

Lavrov said they "reviewed the situation in the region and the world and paid special attention to mutual cooperation in all areas, especially when it comes to agreements signed at the highest level."

"We welcomed once again the balanced policy of the Serbian leadership, which is aimed at maintaining equal and mutually beneficial relations with everyone, which is also the basis of Russian foreign policy. We welcomed Belgrade's commitment, reaffirmed once again by President Vucic, to the policy of preserving military neutrality, and of abandoning anti-Russian sanctions, regardless of who imposes them," Lavrov said. Enditem

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