(Reuters) -Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Wednesday resumed his flight to Moscow for Russia’s parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory in World War Two after his plane was halted in Baku due to ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
The flight set down temporarily in Baku, Azerbaijan after several regional states shut their airspace over Ukrainian drone strikes in Moscow, which forced most of the Russian capital’s airports to close, Tanjug news agency reported.
Vucic was delayed for about two hours at Baku airport before taking off again for Moscow.
Vucic is set to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 9, the day of the parade, the semi-official Serbian news agency reported, citing a Kremlin official.
European Union officials have urged presidents of nations aspiring to join the EU, including Vucic, to align their foreign policies with the bloc and avoid Moscow’s World War Two victory rites because of Russia’s three-year-old invasion of Ukraine.
Last weekend, Vucic abruptly returned from the United States where he had expected to meet with President Donald Trump, citing health reasons. But his physicians said his condition had improved and he could return to work in mid-week.
(Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic; editing by Mark Heinrich)
Comments