New phase in Serbia-USA relations

Biden: Kosovo not obstacle to joining EU

The USA wants better relations with Serbia and Kosovo shall not be an obstacle to that. It shall neither be a condition for the USA support to further European integration by Serbia. This is the chief and very positive message that the USA Vice President Joseph Biden brought to Belgrade yesterday. His meeting with Serbia President Boris Tadic, the key moment of his visit, was held in a very positive atmosphere. Analysts claim that concrete positive results should be expected very soon.

‘The USA wants to improve cooperation with Serbia, help in settlement of problems in the region and help Serbia become a strong, successful and democratic member of Euro-Atlantic community’, Biden said after talks with Tadic.

Biden also pointed out that the USA did not expect from Serbia to recognize Kosovo.

‘The USA shall continue insisting that Serbs in Kosovo get the largest possible protection and expect from Serbia to cooperate with the EU and other international factors in Kosovo. We think we can agree that we do not agree under condition that we have reasonable expectations from each other’, Biden said.

The USA Vice President also said to expect from Serbia to do its utmost to arrest and extradite the war crimes suspects. The USA also expects from Serbia to help the USA and EU in their efforts in establishment of a ‘sovereign, democratic and multiethnic state’ in Bosnia/Herzegovina and called on Serbia to establish ‘peaceful and positive relations’ with all of its neighbors.

‘We shall use our influence, energy and assets to improve Euro-Atlantic integration by Serbia’, Biden said. According to his words the intention of Washington is to work on improvement of direct relations with Serbia. He especially pointed out the existing strong military cooperation as well as the possibility for cooperation in the sphere of economy, culture and education.

Serbia President Boris Tadic who at addressing journalists first thanked in English the Vice President Jospeh Biden for his visit, said that the talks were very ‘frank and productive’ and expressed belief that it shall contribute to opening of the ‘new phase’ in American policy towards Serbia and the West Balkans.