May 08, 2008 12:33 PM
BELGRADE, May 8, 2008 (Xinhua via COMTEX News Network) -- Serbian Prime
Minister Vojislav Kostunica on Thursday congratulated former Russian President
Vladimir Putin on taking office as Russian prime minister.
"I truly and honestly believe that your appointment as Russian Prime
Minister, by which the Russian people showed enormous support to you personally
and to the United Russia party which you head, is the best guarantee of
Russia's strong and overall development," Kostunica said in a congratulatory
letter to Putin.
"The entire Serbian people is grateful to Russia and you in particular
for your principled support for consistent respect for principles of international
law, according to which our southern province of Kosovo-Metohija can only
be a part of Serbia," said Kostunica.
Russia's lower house of the parliament, the State Duma, approved Putin
as Russia's new prime minister earlier in the day.
Russia, a traditional ally of Serbia, strongly opposes the unilaterally
declared independence of Kosovo on Feb. 17.
On the previous day, Serbian President Boris Tadic felicitated Dmirty
Medvedev on his inauguration as Russian president.
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