20 May 2009
Biden Seeks to Enhance U.S.-Serbian Relations
Washington — Vice President Biden and Serbian President Boris Tadic on May 20 sought to open a new path toward enhanced communications and relations between the United States and Serbia.
“The region cannot fully succeed without Serbia playing the constructive and leading role, which you’ve begun, Mr. President,” Biden said at a joint press briefing with Tadic May 20 at the Palace of Serbia in Belgrade. “The president [Tadic] and I both acknowledge that in order to move our relationship forward, we need to find a way forward on the few issues on which we disagree, the few issues that divide us.”
Biden is on a three-nation visit through the Balkans that concludes in Kosovo May 21. He was in Bosnia-Herzegovina May 19. In Serbia, the vice president wanted to make clear that the United States wants to re-engage with Serbia, but also acknowledged that there are going to be differences that will not be easy to resolve, particularly over Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia in February 2008.
“Notwithstanding our different positions on the Kosovo question, Serbia wishes for the best possible relations with the United States, as partners,” Tadic said at the press briefing. “I am convinced that we can achieve a great deal on the basis of dialogue rooted in mutual respect.”
It was the highest-level official U.S. visit to Serbia in almost 30 years, and was seen as a major step by the Obama-Biden administration in improving relations. Biden also met with Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic at his central Belgrade offices after meeting with Tadic.
Biden cited basic principles underpinning U.S. relations with Serbia: strong support for Serbian membership in the European Union and expanded security cooperation, and efforts to deepen direct ties between the United States and Serbia.
“The United States does not, I emphasize, does not expect Serbia to recognize the independence of Kosovo. It is not a precondition for our relationship or our support for Serbia becoming part of the European Union,” the vice president said. “We can agree to disagree, provided that we have reasonable expectations for one another. … We will use our influence, our energy and our resources to promote Serbia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations.”
Biden praised Serbian efforts to reach out to its neighbors Croatia, Montenegro and Macedonia.
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