Serbia’s president used a high-profile urbanism summit in Baku to burnish his statesman image abroad, even as domestic political disputes over Kosovo trailed him into the halls of the World Urban Forum.

A warm embrace in Baku

Aleksandar Vučić arrived in Azerbaijan billed as a guest of a “friendly country,” meeting President Ilham Aliyev in the capital Baku and underscoring the closeness of the two states.¹ Pro-government media highlighted images of Vučić being greeted with “the highest state honors and an exceptionally cordial and friendly welcome” from Aliyev, emphasizing a “warm welcome and friendly embrace.”²

Vučić amplified that message himself on social media, reposting official footage of high-level ceremonies and encounters with foreign heads of state, casting his diplomacy as part of a broader pattern of respect for Serbia on the world stage.Александар Вучић (avucic)³ He also shared the Azerbaijani presidency’s announcement that “President Ilham Aliyev met with President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić,” tying his personal account to Baku’s official narrative.Александар Вучић (avucic)⁴

Expo dreams and energy deals

From the main stage of the 13th World Urban Forum, Vučić positioned Serbia as a future hub of innovation, promising that “innovative solutions for cities will be presented at Expo 2027” in Belgrade.⁵ He told attendees he was “proud to represent Serbia” at one of the key global gatherings on the future of cities and used the forum to pitch Serbia as open for new investments and partnerships.⁶

At home, loyal outlets framed his speech as a technocratic roadmap: Serbia “must increase energy production,” including wind, nuclear and solar, and is “looking forward to working with our friends from Azerbaijan on building a gas power plant in Niš.”⁷

Kosovo controversy follows abroad

But while friendly cameras in Baku focused on the red carpets and smart-city rhetoric, Vučić’s comments to Serbian journalists about a student movement’s Memorandum on Kosovo and Metohija – and Kenya’s recognition of Kosovo – gave opposition media a different hook. They highlighted how, even abroad, the president is drawn back into the unresolved fight over Serbia’s territorial claims and his handling of the Kosovo question.⁸

The result: one presidential trip, two competing stories – a triumphant regional power-broker abroad, and a leader still on the defensive over Kosovo at home.