Belgrade proposed to Moscow an increase in Russian gas supplies to Serbia before the current contract expires in March 2025, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin said in an interview with Russian media, Sputnik reported on Friday.

“I hope we will manage to negotiate that this year. It would be beneficial to purchase even more gas from Russia,” Vulin said, responding to a question about plans to increase Russian gas purchases.

Vulin said that Russian President Vladimir Putin, Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilev, and Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov have supported the idea and the commencement of work on the proposal for gas supplies from Russia to Serbia before the current contract expires.

“I’m very grateful, first of all to President Putin, as well as to the energy minister and the economy Minister, who immediately told us to start working on this. Don’t wait, because our contract is due for renewal in March, let’s do it in September or October, they suggested. It’s good to know we have such friends. You could say negotiations have already begun,” said Vulin.