Russian Foreign Minister Cancels Serbia Trip As Countries Close Airspace

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had been to due to hold talks with top officials in Belgrade, one of Moscow's few remaining allies in Europe.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was forced to cancel a visit to Serbia on Monday after several of its neighbours prevented his plane from passing through their airspace, officials said.

Lavrov had been to due to hold talks with top officials in Belgrade, one of Moscow's few remaining allies in Europe since the launch of its military offensive in Ukraine earlier this year.

"The countries around Serbia have closed the channel of communication by refusing to authorise the overflight of the plane of Sergei Lavrov who was headed to Serbia," Russian news agencies quoted ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying.

"The Russian delegation should have arrived in Belgrade for talks. But the EU and NATO member countries closed their airspace."