U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Asia, James O’Brien, stated in an interview with RTS that he wants all agreements and provisions reached during the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue to be respected.
However, he emphasized that the most important thing is for Serbs in the southern Serbian province to live as normal European citizens.
He also added that while the United States is not the venue for discussions between the two sides, it remains very active on the ground.
“It’s important to protect citizens of all nationalities,” he said.
O’Brien also emphasized that the goal is to discuss practical matters, such as how to speed up the flow of goods, noting that it is in everyone’s interest to open border crossings and allow raw materials from central Serbia to enter the province to continue production.
“The opening of the crossings is a success. A lot of traffic is directed towards the crossing,” he said.
O’Brien criticized Pristina’s behavior for not coordinating its actions with the U.S., describing it as an attempt by the provisional institutions to demonstrate power rather than working for the people.
“There are consequences for this, the biggest being when major European countries did not allow Kosovo to join the Council of Europe. All of this is due to a lack of coordination,” O’Brien said.
He also added that he would not insist on sanctions against Pristina, as sanctions are typically applied in cases of corruption or human rights violations.
“Problems are solved through dialogue,” he said.
Speaking on European integration, O’Brien stated that the U.S. wants all Western Balkan countries to move toward the European Union, and that the Growth Plan is an important step in this direction.
“Serbia is the largest economy, and the region will not be able to progress unless Serbia is integrated. Old conflicts can only hold Serbia back on this path,” O’Brien said.
He also stressed that all economies in the region should integrate, which is the goal of the Growth Plan.
“The Growth Plan highlights and brings what is beneficial for integration, and it is important to make the transfer of money cheaper,” he said.
Regarding U.S.-Serbia relations, O’Brien emphasized the importance of the two countries discussing important matters and noted that the relationship is maturing.
“Last night, we talked about bilateral cooperation in the areas of security and defense. We are pleased that you are supporting Ukraine and President Zelensky. We want to improve our cooperation,” O’Brien said.
He also mentioned that last week, an American company signed a contract for the construction of solar power plants, which he noted is very significant for Serbia.
“It will bring cleaner air and allow Serbia to export electricity throughout the region,” he said.
According to O’Brien, cooperation will continue after the elections.
“We want Serbia to move toward Europe and for its economy to progress,” O’Brien concluded.
