Dmitry Medvedev is to pay the first official visit of a Russian president to Serbia Tuesday to strengthen political and economic ties with Moscow's key ally in the Balkans.
The visit takes place on the day marking 65 years since the Soviet Red Army and Yugoslav partisans of communist leader Josip Broz Tito jointly liberated Belgrade in World War II.
The visit, considered "very important" by the Russian president and "historic" by Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, will include talks on political and economic issues.
Serbia primarily sees the visit as reaffirmed Russian support for its refusal to accept the independence of its breakaway province of Kosovo, unilaterally proclaimed by the ethnic Albanian majority in February 2008 and backed by the U.S. and most European Union members.
"Despite the efforts of protectors of Kosovo's independence, they will not succeed in presenting it as an irreversible process and in closing that issue," Medvedev said in an interview with the Belgrade-based Vecernje Novosti daily published Monday.
Belgrade has challenged the legality of Kosovo's declaration of independence before the International Court of Justice and counts on Russian support in particular at a hearing set for early December.
Russia is seeking a solution for Kosovo "in accordance with a formula agreed with Serbian colleagues a long time ago," Medvedev said.
During the one-day visit the Russian leader will meet his Serbian counterpart Boris Tadic and address the parliament.
Tanjug news agency quoted Jeremic as saying the visit would be devoted to the "strategic partnership" between the two countries, in which economic issues were equally important.
Russia is an important investor in Serbia and wants to keep its influence in the Balkans country, which is pursuing membership of the E.U. while stressing it wants to maintain existing privileged links with Moscow.
"We want to study in detail plans for the realization of big joint projects," Mevedev said.
He will be bringing with him a loan of some EUR1 billion for Serbia to tackle its budget deficit and invest in various infrastructure projects, including a subway and a bypass for Belgrade, according to Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin.
The exact amount and conditions for the loan should be unveiled during the visit.
Talks on energy cooperation will also be an important part of the visit.
The two countries signed last December an overall energy deal including an agreement for Russian gas giant OAO Gazprom (GAZP.RS) to buy 51% of Serbia's oil monopoly NIS. As part of the accord, Serbia will allow the transit through its territory of the South Stream pipeline to transport Russian gas to southern Europe, while Moscow will build an underground gas storage facility in Serbia.