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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Strengthening bilateral relations with US one of Serbia’s priorities

Belgrade, 6 March 2020

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic stated today that joint work on the further intensification of bilateral cooperation and the cherishing of good relations with the United States is one of the most important tasks of the Serbian diplomacy.

The official website of the Serbian government brings the full speech of Minister Dacic at the opening of the event of Serbia-United States relations:

“Your Excellency,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It gives me pleasure to greet you and to open today’s event together with Ambassador Godfrey as well as to express my gratitude to organizers from the Atlantic Council of Serbia for their efforts to give us an opportunity to discuss this important and always topical issue.

On such earlier occasions and today as well, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Serbian Government welcome initiatives aiming for a better mutual understanding as basis for the further strengthening of bilateral relations with the United States, given that they are one of our foreign policy priorities. I am deeply convinced that this event will make another opportunity for us to discuss the historical context and shed light on the positive experiences throughout our historic alliance, from the moment when the USA recognized the Kingdom of Serbia, the Balkan Wars, the period on the eve of the World War I, the period between the two World Wars, as well as during and after World War II when the then Yugoslavia faced a number of challenges.

Today’s event is a clear demonstration of endeavour to strengthen our relations not only politically and economically, but also through the solidification of scientific, cultural and all other ties to bring our states and peoples closer together.

I am certain that we will seize the opportunity today to recall the rich and substantial history of Serbia-United States relations. Formally, our relations launched as early as 1881, but we should not lose sight of the fact that the first recorded proposal for the establishment of diplomatic relations dates back to the time of Prince Mihailo, i.e., in May 1867 and a letter that the U.S. Consul to Romania Louis Czapkay addressed to the Department of State.

For almost 140 years, our diplomatic relations have gone through many stages, not all of which, as you are well aware, were positive and to the mutual benefit, while we continue to still experience certain challenges and negative perceptions and hold different views on some of the key issues to our two countries.

However, I will today rather focus on positive aspects of our relations and the prevailing fact that the critical times of global conflicts and world wars invariably saw Serbia and the United States standing side by side on the right side of history – sharing the same ideals and moral compass.

The importance and scope of mutual respect is best illustrated by recalling probably the most moving occasion in our relations when on 28 July 1918, in honour of the suffering of our people in the Great War, the Serbian flag flew over the White House and all U.S. public buildings. On this very day a statement of the U.S. President Woodrow Wilson was read out in the churches around the country and published in all major daily papers in which he, touched by their colossal losses and heroic acts, expressed his admiration of the "gallant people of Serbia" who had due to "their love of freedom", he said, "opposed a vastly superior enemy". I was deeply honoured to able to take part in the observation of this anniversary in 2018, both in Washington, D.C. in the U.S. Congress and here in Belgrade, recalling with our U.S. partners the spirit of historic alliance existing between our two peoples.

It is also incumbent upon us to remember the renowned Serbian scientists such as Nikola Tesla and Mihajlo Pupin who brought Serbia closer to America as did their scientific accomplishments, strengthening the ties between our two peoples further and leaving an indelible mark on the whole humankind. I would also like to bring up the important role played by many important U.S. citizens who were close to President Wilson, not only during the Versailles Peace Conference but also the period on the eve of World War I and during the fight for liberation waged by Serbia during the Balkan Wars, thus contributing to the understanding of Serbia’s vital interests in the wider international arena.

In chronological order, I wish to underline that the relations between the United States and Yugoslavia, which Serbia selflessly supported through sacrifice and by embedding its statehood, were often dictated by turbulences on the global level and the complex structure of our state during that period in history.

Speaking about the time of our alliance during World War II, I would like to recall Operation Halyard also known as Operation Air Bridge as the most extensive mission of its kind in occupied Europe, rescuing around 500 U.S. airmen and staff from downed planes. This operation, as a kind of paradigm of our relations, shrouded in secrecy for decades.

Furthermore, even faced with circumstances of Cold War divisions which characterized this part of history, we fostered and maintained the unique nature of our relations, in which context not even ideological differences could seriously harm the friendly and sympathetic feelings between the two peoples. That this was so was also evidenced in the period which ensued after WWII and the support extended by the United States and many western countries to then Yugoslavia in facing challenges posed by the Informbiro/Cominform Resolution, the signing of the third Balkan Pact and the tripartite US-France-UK conference held in support of our country. The period that followed until the 1990s was also characterized by a high level of cooperation and understanding despite ideological differences.

Even though the period since the dissolution of Yugoslavia until today can be assessed as a complex and multifaceted one when it comes to our relations, which correlates to often contradictory interpretation of the events from the said period in time, I insist on being optimistic. This is so because it is through the very challenges we have been facing that compel us to strive towards a constant increasingly open dialogue, we could identify common interests to serve as a realistic and healthy basis for the further strengthening and development of relations.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am glad to be able to say that today’s cooperation between the Republic of Serbia and the United States of America is characterized by a positive dynamic despite the existing realistic challenges. Political dialogue at all levels in a number of areas has been intensified in the recent years.

As I have underlined early on, promoting the relations with the United States of America has been one of the foreign policy priorities of the Republic of Serbia, as a token of respect for the important role played by the United States in the global world order and towards the vision of our region as a stable one, in terms of both security and economy, and an integral part of the united European family of nations based on democratic values.

This was also demonstrated by the recent visit by President Vucic to Washington, D.C., when he had important meetings with top U.S. officials, on which occasion the unequivocal and unconditional support to the continuation of dialogue with Pristina was reaffirmed to us including to the immediate revocation of tariffs illegally imposed by Pristina against Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, for which we are particularly grateful.

The issue of Kosovo and Metohija, which is of vital national interest to Serbia and poses the greatest political and security challenge, is also an important topic of our political dialogue. Despite divergent positions, Serbia remains fully open to further discussions on both a technical and political level with the United States as one of the key partners in the process of reaching a lasting and sustainable solution.

We hope that the U.S. Special Envoys Grenell and Palmer will continue to have a constructive approach and remain to be actively involved in overcoming the stalemate in the dialogue and assist in finding a mutually acceptable, fair and sustainable solution. We also hope that immediately after the illegally imposed tariffs on goods from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have been lifted, the dialogue will continue in good faith and without no further conditions on reciprocal measures.

Serbia highly values the support that the United States is continuously providing to us in the pursuit of full membership of the European Union, as our strategic goal. Maintaining a positive dynamic in the European integration process is crucial to the stability and development of Serbia and the entire region. In this regard, I hope that the United States of America will continue to actively support our country in achieving this goal.

I wish to emphasize that strengthening of bilateral cooperation with the United States in other areas as well is very important to us. While appreciating the importance of cooperation in the fields of culture, science, sports and other areas, this refers in particular to the need to intensify economic ties and cooperation with investment partners. The reforms and measures we are implementing, among other things, are aimed at creating an even more favourable and secure economic environment that will accelerate both the attraction and realization of foreign investment (in which the U.S. has to date participated with close to USD four billion) and the strengthening of Serbian economic capacities.

In its relations with the United States, as well as in its overall activities internationally, Serbia seeks to establish itself as an active, responsible and reliable partner which is at the same time the pillar of regional stability. Starting with strengthening regional relations, stabilizing the Western Balkans and addressing outstanding issues as prerequisites for the development of the entire region, through addressing issues in a proper manner such as the migrant crisis, the continuation of successful bilateral cooperation in the fight against organized crime and international terrorism, participation in peacekeeping missions, to military cooperation with the United States, where programs within the State Partnership of the Republic of Serbia and the Ohio National Guard occupy a special place, which are already being utilized even in the sphere of civil relations - Serbia is showing its willingness to take its share of responsibility on international level.

In this regard, we are grateful for the understanding and support shown by the U.S. regarding our initiatives such as "mini-Schengen" that should help achieve the goals aimed at the well-being of the entire region.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that working together to further intensify bilateral cooperation and foster good relations with the U.S. is one of the most important tasks of Serbian diplomacy and the Ministry I am at the helm of.

Fostering our relations is not only a necessity because of the current challenges and complex geopolitical circumstances around the world and the many current security threats that are indivisible in the modern age, but also because of the same values we share and the historical heritage that bonds us together.

Therefore, I see today's gathering as a significant step towards a better grasp of Serbia-U.S. relations and alliances, which can only help achieve a common goal to overcome the negative legacy and perception and build the foundations for better relations in the future.

In this regard, I would like to take this opportunity to express willingness, both my own and of the Foreign Ministry, to support, within the scope of our capacities, the implementation of such activities in the future.

I wish you every success in your endeavours.

Thank you.”