Support expressed by the Russian president for Aleksandar Vučić has renewed attention to his ties with Moscow and his cooperation with Tirana. Edi Rama and Vučić have taken part in joint regional initiatives, but it is not known whether the Albanian prime minister supports Vučić’s return to the helm of Serbia’s government.

Vladimir Putin publicly declared that he hopes Vučić will become prime minister of Serbia and expressed his desire to continue cooperating with him.

The Russian president made the comment on October 1 at the Valdai Forum. He congratulated Belgrade on its decision not to impose sanctions on Russia and praised the Serbian leadership’s willingness to cooperate with Moscow.

The statement also raises questions about Edi Rama’s position on Vučić’s candidacy.

Relations between Rama and Vučić have been reflected in their cooperation on the Open Balkan initiative and other regional initiatives.

On March 11, 2026, the two leaders issued a joint position on accelerating the European integration of Albania and Serbia. They proposed phased integration, through which candidate countries would be able to benefit from some EU mechanisms before full membership.

In July this year, Rama said that Open Balkan had failed to secure broader support because the initiative was seen as a project of his and Vučić’s. He emphasized that differences between Albania and Serbia should not prevent cooperation.

Despite their relations, the cooperation does not prove that Rama supports Vučić’s candidacy for the post of prime minister.

Rama and Vučić have promoted integration into the European Union, while Putin has praised the Serbian leader for rejecting sanctions against Russia.

These positions reflect the complicated balance Serbia is trying to maintain: the goal of integrating into the EU while simultaneously maintaining ties with Moscow.

Vučić resigned as president on September 27 and is a candidate for prime minister in the parliamentary elections expected to be held on October 25.

Putin has already expressed his preference. As for Rama, it is still not known whether he will publicly take a position on Vučić’s candidacy.

So far, no statement by the Albanian prime minister has been verified indicating that he wants Vučić to lead the Serbian government.

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