Senior State Department Official: These Are America’s Interests

Aleksandar Vučić, Photo: Tanjug / Dragan Kujundžić

Senior State Department official Philip Reeker is convinced that the administration of President Joseph Biden will remain committed to partnering with Serbia.

“I can’t speculate what will happen Biden Administration What to do, but I can say that the US commitment to the Western Balkans and our partnership with Serbia is consistent, from one administration to another, “Reeker told Tanjug, adding that he believes support will remain strong.

“In that context, I am convinced that the interests of the United States take precedence over” American politics “and that these interests will continue to guide our relations towards a brighter, more prosperous, stable and increasingly European future for Serbia. and the region, “Reeker said.

Reeker has been in US diplomacy for more than three decades, including high-level positions in the State Department.

He is now the head of the Office for Europe and Eurasia in the state, and before that he was in the administration of Democratic President Barack Obama, acting deputy secretary of state, and during the negotiations in Rambouillet, he was the spokesman for Christopher Hill.

When asked to clarify his statement that the status quo between Belgrade and Pristina is untenable, and that the Washington accords are an example of the leadership the Western Balkans need, and what that means when it comes to the final settlement of the Kosovo problem, Reeker replied that Kosovo and Serbia will not reach the full potential for cooperation until their differences are resolved.

“Through the mediation of the White House, agreements were reached on September 4 with the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Avdulah Hoti and by the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, which opened up new prospects for cooperation and confidence-building measures, “Reeker said.

He emphasizes that these agreements have strengthened the bases for future agreements, opening the perspective of a comprehensive normalization of relations, in which, he recalls, the EU itself is working, which otherwise continues to be the main priority of the United States in the region. .

“The implementation of these agreements will not only bring growth and jobs to the citizens of Serbia and Kosovo, but will ensure that they have a better future at home, in their countries, and will also contribute to reconciliation and progress in the Western Balkans.” Reeker said.

When asked to explain what Serbia and its position as a militarily neutral country mean in a recent regional online meeting – that the Western Balkans will remain the center of America’s attention until full transatlantic integration is achieved, Reeker emphasized that Moscow and Beijing are actively working against the achievement of the objectives set in the region: its “integration with the West.”

But, he notes, Serbia has decided for itself that its future lies in the West, along with EU membership.

“We support that and would like to be, together with the European partners, part of the choice of Serbian partners. To that end, we have invested significant effort, energy and resources to help Serbia realize its strategic interest in European integration.” Reeker said.

It also emphasizes that Serbia’s path towards EU membership is clear.

“The Serbian leadership knows what it needs to do to move forward on that path,” Reeker said, adding: “We hope that Serbia will move quickly towards that goal, which includes improving the rule of law, freedom of the media and harmonizing the foreign and security policy with European policy “. Union “.

In the context of the position that the region will remain in the spotlight of the United States until it gets a full transatlantic structure, and when asked by Tanjug if Serbia should be concerned about potential pressures, as well as what would be the mechanism and the The target of such pressure, Reeker responded indirectly. that Europe, and especially the Western Balkans, are the undoubted center of geopolitical competition.

“We continue to deter Russian and Chinese influence in Serbia, and that includes constantly reminding Serbian leaders that none of these relationships are helping to achieve Serbia’s strategic goal of joining the EU, but are actually influencing the opposite.” Reeker said.

The United States and the EU, he explains, believe that their collective interests best serve to “cement” democratic norms, the rule of law and cooperation based on common values ​​and a common future.

“Russia in Serbia is using the disinformation campaign to distract the public from its sympathies for Western ideals and goals, and it is also undermining democratic institutions,” Reeker says.

China, for its part, uses investments, which are generally not transparent, nor high-quality projects, to “stomp” its way to Serbia, Philip Reeker said.