  In this work, we argue that the observed differences in the value of the
vector coupling constant extracted from the decays $\rho\to \pi\pi$ ($g_{\rho}
= 6.0$), $\rho\to l^+l^-$ ($g_{\rho} = 5.0 $) and $\omega\to l^+ l^-$
($g_{\rho} = 5.7$), where $l=e,\mu $, are an indication of the important role
played by the $1/N_c$ corrections in the description of these processes. We
show that an emission of a photon by charged meson loops in the $\rho^0,
\omega,\phi\to\gamma$ transitions is a key process that allows to describe
above vector meson decays into two leptons with a single value $g_\rho = 6.0$.
Our result supports the idea of universality of neutral vector mesons and
clarifies the role of accounting of $1/N_c$ corrections to its fulfilment.
