Increasing military cooperation, providing resources to exploit lithium potential while protecting the environment, as well as joint economic development – these are the most important areas in the US-Serbia relationship, said for “Voice of America” Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell, quoted by the Serbian edition "Danas".
California's representative in the lower house of Congress believes that strengthening military cooperation is very important and that the US and Serbia have much more to offer each other than Russia or China.
„The existing and future relationship between the US and Serbia has no borders. They have been developing continuously over the past decade. Serbia has proven to be an important security partner when it comes to our highest priority – events in Ukraine. We have to be realistic and try to mitigate other influences. The best way to do this is freedom, our economy and values. In this respect, Serbia is much closer to us than to Russia and China, Swalwell said for the Voice of America. on the day the US and Serbia signed a strategic energy cooperation agreement.
However, it is a fact that the Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, Alexander Vulin, a person on the US sanctions list, recently visited Russia, where he spoke with President Vladimir Putin, "Danas" recalls. Also, not long after, China visited another high-ranking Serbian official – the Minister of Internal Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Dacic.
Several interlocutors of “Voice of America“ recently interpreted similar moves as obstacles to the European path of Serbia, which is a candidate for membership in the European Union, but also to the strengthening of cooperation with Western countries.
Also, despite the calls and expectations of the mediators and the international community, the decades-long dispute between Serbia and Kosovo has not yet been put to an end, which should give an opportunity to normalize relations between the two countries and contribute to the progress of their integration in the Euro-Atlantic structures, recalls the Serbian edition.
Swalwell told “Voice of America” that he expects the parties in the process to fulfill their agreement.
„I recently published a statement that is consistent with the position of the American Embassy in Kosovo, which is not happy with the Kurti government's treatment of some Serbs. However, I have full hope that the framework that was agreed upon will be implemented”, concluded the congressman.
As recalled by ‚Danas”, in recent weeks and months the authorities in Pristina have taken a number of measures against what they call parallel Serbian institutions. The closure of local administration and other Serbian government institutions in four municipalities in northern Kosovo was preceded by the closure of Serbian post offices, which drew criticism from the US and the European Union.
Another move by Pristina that caused tension at the beginning of the year was the introduction of the euro as the sole legal currency in Kosovo, which influenced the decision to remove the Serbian dinar as a means of payment in Kosovo.