Putin awarded Vulin with the Order of Friendship

The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, awarded the former director of the Security and Information Agency (BIA) of Serbia, Aleksandar Vulin, with the Order of Friendship, announced the Movement of Socialists, of which Vulin is the founder.

As stated, Vulin was awarded for "great personal contribution to the development and improvement of cooperation between the Security and Information Agency of Serbia and the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) of Russia in the field of ensuring state security and protecting the national interests of Serbia and Russia."

The Socialist Movement announced that Putin's envoy, Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergei Naryshkin, presented the order to Vulin at the SVR headquarters in Moscow.

Nariškin, as stated, said that Vulin deserved the award for continuous efforts aimed at the development of Russian-Serbian relations and cooperation between the special services of Russia and Serbia.

It is also reported that Nariškin said "that commitment to the goal, high organizational skills and a firm belief in the correctness of the work he performs, enable Vulin to successfully confront challenges and threats in the common interest of the Serbian and Russian people in the complex and sometimes dramatic conditions of the international scene." .

Vulin continued to maintain direct contacts with Russian officials even after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Vulin was also honored by the director of the Federal Security Service of Russia

Just two days earlier, Vulin was honored by the director of the Federal Security Service of Russia, Army General Alexander Bortnikov.

Bortnikov awarded Vulin with the Order for exceptional professionalism and contribution to cooperation between the Serbian and Russian services. He was awarded the award at the headquarters of that service in Moscow on January 28, the Socialist Movement announced.

Aleksandar Vulin is a long-time coalition partner of Aleksandar Vučić and until recently the director of the Security and Information Agency (BIA).

In July 2023, the US placed him on the sanctions list for alleged corruption and involvement in drug trafficking, as well as for ties to Russia.

On November 3, 2023, Vulin resigned from the position of head of the intelligence agency, as he said, because he believed that he had no right "to sacrifice Serbia" for his survival in office.

Aleksandar Vulin held political positions for the previous decade - from the director of the Government Office for Kosovo, through the defense and internal affairs departments he led, to the position of the first man of the Serbian secret service.