Reeker: U.S. will Stand by Serbia as Partner and Friend

Philip T. Reeker (YouTube screenshot)

The U.S. are still very committed to the Western Balkans and are encouraged by how things are developing between Serbia and Kosovo, said Acting Assistant of the U.S. Secretary of State Philip Reeker during a celebration of Serbia’s Statehood Day held at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., reported Voice of America on Feb. 12.

The Serbian Embassy in the U.S. organized a reception at the Library of Congress on the evening of Feb. 11, to celebrate Serbia’s Statehood Day.

The State Department’s highest official in charge of the Balkan affairs spoke about the ups and downs in the U.S.-Serbian relations through history and pointed out that the U.S. will always stand by Serbia as a partner and friend as long as the latter fulfills its goals – EU membership and implementation of reforms.

“The U.S. values its partnership with Serbia and we share the vision of a democratic Serbia with a developed economy, at peace with its neighbors and fully integrated into Europe. The normalization of relations with Kosovo is important for the achievement of these goals. We’re encouraged by the fact that Serbia and Kosovo recently signed a letter of intent to restore the airline between Belgrade and Pristina, making sure that borders connect, not divide,” said Reeker.

Serbian Ambassador to the U.S. Djerdj Matkovic said for Voice of America that the resolution of the Kosovo question remains the biggest challenge in the U.S.-Serbian relations.

“This means that a compromising solution is the real thing. For us to become an EU member, we have to achieve the normalization of relations with Kosovo, and we’re intensely working with the U.S. on this. I think we’ve made progress, but much lies ahead and this remains one of the biggest challenges,” said the ambassador.