In an interview for N1, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, Hoyt Brian Yee said that Serbia had the opportunity to expedite the EU accession process, and that it needed to demonstrate even more clearly to its EU partners that it was adamant to become an EU member.
Hoyt Yee also underlined that the country had to implement the reforms in the fastest possible way.
The United States, he says, believes that Serbia plays an important role in regional stability, as does Croatia.
“The relations between the two countries must be improved in 2018. I think that Serbia and Croatia understand how important it is to resolve bilateral issues and strengthen bilateral relations … There was a political will to solve the ongoing problems, followed by a breakdown in communication. I think that the governments of the two countries want to improve relations and this requires political courage. Both Serbia and Croatia must find political courage to resolve the issues of missing persons and the state borders. Only when that is done, they will be able to move on”, he said.
Speaking about human rights and media freedom in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, he said that that was an important issue for all countries that want to improve their democratic standards. Free media are crucial for strong democracies and powerful economies, he added.
On several occasions Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has publicly called the N1 TV station “an American TV station”, and a medium that “works for the Americans” … When asked if N1 was on the US government’s payroll, Hoyt Yee said: “If the US government is paying you, than I feel sorry for you, because you do not get a lot money”.
“Authorities must protect media and journalists from threats, and judiciary across Europe must prosecute those who illegally want to limit media freedom. I would not say that one country in the region is worse than another in terms of media freedom. I think that all the countries in this region are facing the same challenges of transition”, he underlined.
(Blic, 04.01.2018)
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