Hill: Improving Relations with Serbia Requires More Wisdom than in the Past

Christopher Hill (BETAPHOTO/MILAN OBRADOVIC)

U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill said in Belgrade, on Oct. 4, that in order to improve relations with Serbia, more wisdom was needed than "all of us" demonstrated in the past.

In his opening speech at an international conference called, The Center for U.S. Studies – The First 20 Years, hosted by Belgrade’s School of Political Studies, Ambassador Hill said that academic work was important for creating a more peaceful and more prosperous world.

„We have supported, and will continue to support the Center for U.S. Studies. We greatly respect the knowledge and wisdom that are fundamental to improving a relationship. It has been a difficult 20 years and we do not want another 20 difficult years. We want to look forward, and to improve our relations,” Hill said, adding that some in the U.S. were perhaps surprised by the new light that Belgrade was presenting itself in, but those who knew that “Serbia is marching towards prosperity” were aware that “this is a beautiful country that works very hard.”

During the conference, which focused on the Center's work, Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric said that fostering ties in education between the U.S. and Serbia was very important. “More than ever, we need educated, talented, eloquent people capable of working on the connections that are so important. And that is the connection to the U.S,” Djuric said, adding that Serbia was working on a strategic dialogue with the United States.