Serbia's Vucic, Romania's Dan travel to Ukraine in their first official visits
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will visit Ukraine on June 11 to take part in the Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit in Odesa, Serbia's Presidential Office announced.
The one-day trip will mark the Moscow-friendly Serbian leader's first official visit to Ukraine.
Top representatives of 12 southeastern European countries are expected to attend the meeting at the Ukrainian Black Sea coast city.
Serbia has positioned itself as neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war, striving to balance its position as an EU candidate with its long-standing relationship with Moscow.
Vucic, a populist politician who has held power in Serbia for 12 years, was one of the few European leaders who attended the Moscow Victory Day celebrations on May 9, drawing rebuke from the EU.
The traditionally warm Russian-Serbian ties were strained recently after Russia's intelligence accused Serbian defense companies of supplying arms to Ukraine via intermediaries. Vucic has denied the accusations.
Nicusor Dan, the recently elected president of Romania, will also visit Odesa to take part in the summit, the Romanian Presidential Office said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky invited Dan to visit Ukraine shortly after the latter won the May presidential election. Dan ran on a centrist, pro-EU platform against far-right Eurosceptic George Simion.
While Simion has vocally opposed military aid for Kyiv, Dan pledged to maintain Romania's pro-Ukraine course.
Martin Fornusek
