Russian Intelligence Chief: Opening Russian Historical Society Office in Serbia a Logical Step

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Director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Sergei Naryshkin said that opening a branch of the Russian Historical Society in Serbia was a logical step reflecting the depth of historical and cultural ties between the two countries.

“We are grateful to Aleksandar Vulin, who came forward with this initiative, which has already received broad attention. I am convinced that creating such a platform will elevate cooperation between Russian and Serbian historians to a new qualitative level, and strengthen scientific and cultural ties between our countries,” Naryshkin stated in a comment on the opening of the Historical Society’s branch in Belgrade.

Naryshkin, who is at the helm of the Russian organization, said in a video message to participants in the inaugural session in Belgrade that Russia highly valued close spiritual ties with the Serbian people and Belgrade’s independent policy, the Russian news agency Tass reported.

“It is no secret that Brussels is exerting extremely strong pressure on the Republic of Serbia today. It is also true that the Serbian people remain close to us in spirit. This is highly valued and respected in Russia. We also respect the principled and independent course that Belgrade continues to follow,” Naryshkin said.

The founding session of the Russian Historical Society’s branch in Belgrade brought together  about 1,300 people, Tass reports. Among the attendants were Serbia’s Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic, the Russian Historical Society’s co-chairman and Russian Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Konstantin Mogilevsky, Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Bocan-Harchenko, and Serbian Patriarch Porfirije.

The decision to establish the branch in Serbia was made at a June 10 meeting of the Society’s presidency, and it was led by the head of the Socialist Movement and a former Serbian deputy prime minister, Aleksandar Vulin.