Macron visiting Serbia; Vučić: "Tonight we will continue the talks... Feel at home" PHOTO/VIDEO

In addition to Belgrade, Macron will also visit Novi Sad.

Vučić: Feel at home

Macron on Telegram founder: I didn't know he was coming to France; I gave him citizenship

TANJUG/ MARKO ĐOKOVIĆ/ nr

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke in Belgrade about the case of the founder of Telegram.

"France is a country that protects freedom of speech, protects and loves innovation and entrepreneurship. We are a country where there is a separation of powers and we have a rule of law that is controlled by independent judges and that is good. I did not know that Mr. Durov was coming to France, and that is normal because I don't need to know who is entering and leaving France, whether they are French citizens or not. I didn't invite and I shouldn't have seen Mr. Durov, I didn't know he was coming to France," Macron said.

He added that it was an independent action by the judicial authorities of France, which organized this operation transparently.

"When we talk about granting Durov citizenship, it was in 2018. I am completely behind that decision. It was about a strategy where we wanted to enable women and men, athletes, artists, who want to learn the French language, who want to develop innovations, when they want to get citizenship we gave them. I gave citizenship to Mr. Durov. I think it's something good for our country and I will continue to do it while respecting the rules I mentioned here. I don't know more about it and it's normal that I don't know anything about it because it's about the rule of law and judicial bodies that are independent," Macron said in response to a French journalist's question about the case of the founder of Telegram.

Avala tower in the colors of the French flag

Serbia and France sign 12 new agreements

In the presence of President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and President of France, Emmanuel Macron, 12 signed documents on cooperation between the two countries in several fields were exchanged in the Palace of Serbia.

Milos Tesic/ATAImages

Agreements were signed in the fields of agriculture, ecology, construction, mining, the nuclear program, on the procurement of Rafale fighter jets, in the fields of health, science and technological development, tourism, telecommunications...

These are the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Serbia and the French Development Agency (AFD) regarding mutual cooperation, which was exchanged by Prime Minister Miloš Vučević and Director General of the French Development Agency Rémy Rioux.

Annex 2 of the Agreement between the Government of Serbia and the Government of France on cooperation in the field of implementing priority projects in Serbia was exchanged by the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Siniša Mali and the Ambassador of the French Republic in Belgrade, Pierre Cochard.