MOSCOW, January 23 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Vladimir Putin is to meet with the Serbian President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica in Moscow on Friday, the Kremlin press service said on Wednesday.

Tadic and Kostunica are to visit Moscow to take part in the signing of an international agreement on cooperation with Russia in the oil and gas sector.

On Tuesday, the Serbian government approved an international oil and gas agreement with Russia, which includes the sale of a majority stake in state-owned Serbian oil monopoly Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) to Russia's Gazprom, the development of Serbia's natural gas transportation system under the South Stream project, and an increase in Serbia's underground gas storage capacity in Serbia.

Gazprom offered $580 million for a 51% stake in NIS last month, the European Union subsequently urged Serbia to make sure its interests were "objective." The mooted deal again raised fears in Europe over perceived growing energy dependence on Russia.

Kostunica said that after the agreement is signed Serbia will become more stable and "become an energy leader in the region."