At a press conference with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić in Belgrade, Vice President of the United States Joseph Biden offered his condolences to the families of those whose lives were lost during the NATO bombing.
During their meeting Biden and Vučić focused on three significant topics: the US-Serbia bilateral relations, the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, as well as regional relations and Serbia’s European path.
“We have confirmed that we want to leave the past behind and look towards future. I believe in a different future, in which we will be able to reach an absolute agreement on everything with our neighbors”, said Vučić, adding that Serbia is confident of the US to preserve peace and stability in the region.
The Prime Minister also asked to take in consideration that, in the context of actual improvement of the US-Serbia bilateral relations, the number of US investors is rising and that, thanks to the reform of the judicial system, it will be possible to attract other investors as well.
Vučić said that Serbia has started to solve the problems of its economy and that it has produced, among other things, a budget surplus by having introduced fiscal consolidation measures.
Vice President of the United States Joseph Biden has expressed an opinion that Serbia will be the political and economic keystone of the whole region pointing out that the peaceful Western Balkans is of the high importance for Europe.
“The President Obama and I highly appreciate the leadership demonstrated by Vučić on many occasions, in particular in the relations with Croatia, adding that Serbia has to be a part of democratic Europe: “Serbia has to be a part of the EU, because this is in the interests of both Serbia and the whole Europe that needs to be united and peaceful”.
Biden remembers that some moments in a common history were extremely painful, but he said that he was satisfied with the opening of a new chapter in the US-Serbia bilateral relations: “I would like to offer my condolences to all families who lost their members during the NATO bombing”, said Biden.
Biden also remembered that his last visit, that was in 2009, only a couple of months after Obama took office as the US president, already showed his attitude how important this region is and that he had never stopped observing and following it.
“I’ve visited Serbia on several occasions and I’ve witnessed the progress it has made in a very short period of time”, said the Vice President, adding that his country, and it’s in its own interest, is ready to support Serbia and its progress.
Biden, in relation to economic cooperation, said that, even though there are no rules, certain conditions must be met so that the international companies that are willing to invest in Serbia would be able to do it in a legal state and with transparency.
“In the US there is a great interest in direct investment in Serbia. You are a talented nation and the US want to support Serbia on its path to EU accession, as well as the reforms introduced by the government. The predictions of the economic growth imply that there will be more investments from the US”, said Biden.
Moreover, the US Vice President also met with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić, to whom he confirmed that the US don’t intended that Serbia should make a choice between Russia and his country. Nikolic, from his point of view, stated once again that “we are very focused on our European path and on implementing reforms. On the other hand, we don’t want to impose sanctions to Russia, if this is what the EU foreign policy requires. We are tied to Russia, but in the United States lives a great number of our citizens”.
The visit of the US Vice President is a positive sign seeing that the US have had an important role in unblocking the process of opening of Chapters 23 and 24.
(RTS, Novosti, 16.08.2016.)
This post is also available in: Italiano
Teaching plunder tactics to the Vucic family?