Djuric: With a little luck and a lot of hard work, Serbia will become a great place to live

When we analyze the performance of Serbia as a country in the year 2023 in the areas of economic growth, development of the road network, growth in the inflow of investments and the arrival of investors - especially in the spheres of high technology, then the growth of investments in science, culture, education, but also the struggle for the standard of living of most categories population, and if we compare it with neighboring countries, some of which are members of the EU and NATO at the same time, it would be unfair not to say that we are at least partly satisfied. For some things, we are very satisfied, said Marko Djuric, Ambassador of Serbia to the United States of America, at the beginning of the interview with Pink.rs.

"Actually, to be quite direct, I am proud of the fight that Aleksandar Vucic's team and the Government led by Ana Brnabic have shown in the year behind us. Everyone in the world, including here in the USA, is aware of the difficult historical circumstances in the wider environment which have not been seen for almost a century. To achieve such results in such conditions is a small miracle. Are there things that we as a society, state, and government can do better - there is no doubt. Do we lack the willpower to continue to develop Serbia even faster and change for the better in 2024? Not in the least," said Djuric.

What is your assessment of the parliamentary, provincial and local elections? Are you completely satisfied with the results of the "Aleksandar Vucic - Serbia must not stop" list?

I am very satisfied with the result of the Serbian Progressive Party. I congratulate Milos Vucevic as the president of the SNS and all other party colleagues, of whom there are more than half a million, on the magnificent victory of the SNS list under the name of Aleksandar Vucic. In terms of the electoral procedure, the past parliamentary elections were at the highest level since the introduction of multi-party system in Serbia. I know that my joy and congratulation, as well as this statement, will irritate a not small, opposition-friendly part of the public, for whom I emphasize that I have sincere respect regardless of differences in attitudes. That part of our public, that is, our neighbors, relatives and friends who think differently, to which they have every right, is exposed to continuous propaganda manipulation with the aim of creating divisions and fueling politically motivated hatred, which has been brought to almost perfection. But, come on, if necessary, let's analyze the conducted election procedures one by one and item by item. The opposition wrote the rules according to which the elections were conducted, either while they were in power or later with the mediation of European parliamentarians. They had a majority in all election committees in the republic. They had by far the largest number of observers. They had media with a national frequency that for years, not months, broadcast merciless, often even dehumanizing propaganda against the representatives of the ruling parties or any public figure who dares to provide even indirect support for Aleksandar Vucic's policy. Anyone who did such a thing was immediately branded a sycophant, a patter, a criminal, etc. None of the above was available to the Serbian Progressive Party when it came to power. The representatives of the opposition signed all the minutes during the election day and formally and legally recognized the election results. They did not admit the defeat politically, and thus actually showed that they fundamentally do not value democratic methods of political action. That is bad news for Serbia. It will be that, nevertheless, the opposition owes its collapse primarily to other circumstances, and not to the fabricated election theft. They mislead citizens about fundamental issues even while they are in the opposition, what would they do if they came to power. Risking the label of a hypocrite, I want to emphasize as a Serb and a Serbian progressive my sincere belief that the collapse, which the opposition has largely brought about itself, is not good for Serbia. I would like to be able to say that whoever loses has the right to be angry, but when I see all that anger generated in hate factories on the streets of my city, catastrophic stories and dangerous slanders about Serbia that go out into the world or when I see seriously injured young men - policemen, I don't feel like laughing.

There is a lot of talk that the foreign factor influenced and is influencing the protests of a part of the opposition that first demanded the annulment of the elections in Belgrade, and then the republican elections?

​I would point out to actors from all political options the danger of the possibility that we, as a society, make ourselves a currency for pocketing money in conflicts between great powers through careless labeling and drawing parallels between events in Serbia and other regions of the world. For example, the autocrat label may sound useful if it is applied to a political opponent in Belgrade, but if it is communicated on the sidelines, it produces damage for the entire country, and it will certainly not bring a political result at home. I am very concerned about the damage to the reputation of Serbia caused by the images of the post-election chaos on the streets of Belgrade. All participants in the electoral process should calmly accept the results of the electoral process. Trampling Serbia's international reputation through slander against the electoral process as the foundation of democracy will not bring the opposition to power. But it is a gift given to the ready hands of opponents, even enemies of our state and national interests of all colors and types.

How would you describe the current state of diplomatic relations between Serbia and the USA? What are the key collaboration points and challenges you see?

Further strengthening of political, economic and cultural ties between Serbia and the USA is important for achieving all our national priorities. Even on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija and topics from the past on which we have fundamentally different opinions. Serbia has invested a lot in improving its position in the most influential country of Western civilization. The creation of a Serbian lobby is a generational task that has begun. We want the new era of friendly cooperation in our relations to become a daily reality as soon as possible, and we are working hard on that. The best results of our cooperation are currently in the field of economy and sports, but I would not like to forget to mention the partnership with Ohio, which we value very much.

What are the prospects for strengthening economic cooperation between Serbia and the United States of America? Are there any planned initiatives or projects that would contribute to the improvement of economic cooperation?

Economic cooperation has been included in the top of Serbian-American relations in the last few years. Suffice it to say that for two years in a row we have recorded a record trade exchange of 1.2 billion dollars, that the inflow of investments is constantly growing, and that America is in first place as the market to which Serbia exports the most ICT services, and that it is our fourth foreign trade partner in the world. Last year alone, we organized several trade missions and visits by economic delegations both in Serbia and America, as well as business round tables, including one attended by Prime Minister Ana Brnabic. We also established the American-Serbian Business Council as an important platform for presenting Serbia's economic and investment potential, as well as for connecting American and Serbian companies. We regularly cooperate with the American-Central European Business Association, whose delegation visited Serbia last February, as well as with the American Chamber of Commerce, which we had the opportunity to host in Washington this summer.

How do Serbia and the USA cooperate in the field of security? How do you deal with the challenges of regional stability and security?

The partnership of the Serbian Army with the Ohio National Guard changed the image of the Serbian soldier in America and the American in Serbia. I am grateful to Generals Harris and Mojsilovic for wholeheartedly nurturing this friendship for our countries, from which both sides benefit greatly. Serbia and the USA share the desire to preserve regional stability, and in this sense, Serbia has demonstrated responsibility and restraint, even in the face of the most severe provocations by the regime in Pristina and political extremists in some other regional centers.

How does the embassy support the Serbian diaspora in the USA? What initiatives are aimed at preserving cultural heritage and strengthening ties between the diaspora and the homeland?

Recognizing the importance and enormous capacity of the diaspora as a state resource of Serbia, one of the tasks that President Vucic assigned me by entrusting me with the position of ambassador to the USA is to work more intensively with our emigration as a powerful voice of Serbia in America in the political, economic, cultural and academic sense. The most significant initiatives that we carried out in this regard were even two conferences specifically intended for the diaspora - "Strengthening Connections", realized in February 2023, which, after a break of several decades, gathered our compatriots from all 50 American federal states in one place. The second, particularly important conference, which was held for the first time in history just two months ago in Washington, was dedicated to our most important national issue, calling it "Kosovo and Metohija - Prayer for Peace, Stability and Justice", and at which we brought the American public and our community in America about the alarming situation in which the Serbian people in Kosovo find themselves due to the progressive escalation of violence, political and police repression and the daily violation of their basic human rights by Kurti and his associates. In the past three years, we have strengthened the staff of the embassy in Washington with people who are dedicated to working on the strategic and development vision of improving relations with the diaspora, regularly visit our community across the continent, talk with them and together with them find new ways of cooperation with the mother country, but also of overall cooperation of our two countries. We also strengthened the Consulate General in Chicago as the largest center of Serbian life in the world in terms of personnel, which was directly reflected in the increase in the interest of our entrepreneurs in America to expand their business in Serbia, invest and strengthen our economic ties. With the support of the President and the Government, we also launched two important campaigns - "Get a Serbian passport", which enables and facilitates people of Serbian origin, whether they are first, second or tenth generation immigrants in America, to obtain this important document through a simplified procedure, and the campaign "We are stronger together" with which we motivate our compatriots to join associations and further integrate, thus creating a strong network of Serbian economic, cultural and educational activities on American soil.

How do you see the solution to the Kosovo issue and what role can the US play in that process?

Although we do not share the same opinion on the status of Kosovo, Serbia and America still today, as during the time of our alliances in the world wars, share a position on the importance of respecting the values of a democratic society, a responsible approach to every dialogue and negotiation, respect for everything agreed and signed, and condemn any a form of violence and violation of human rights. The escalation of discriminatory unilateral moves by the temporary institutions in Pristina dictated and directly ordered by Albin Kurti towards the Serbian people in Kosovo must not leave anyone in the international community indifferent. It is important for us that America today recognizes this, and that more and more often, louder messages can be heard from Washington calling for an end to the repression of Serbs, such as the one sent ten days ago by congresswoman Claudia Tenney with her proposal law to the US Congress. With that document, Congresswoman Tenney made a serious step forward in the American approach to relations between Belgrade and Pristina, and I believe that her example will soon be followed by more and more Republican and Democratic congressmen.

How does the embassy engage in the promotion of Serbian culture and education in the USA? Are there planned cultural events or educational programs?

I can freely say that our embassy is one of the most active diplomatic and consular representations of Serbia in the world, whether through our independent events, participation in major festivals, joint events with other embassies in Washington or in partnership with American cultural and educational institutions. Last year alone, we organized dozens of events, literary, film and poetry evenings, concerts, exhibitions of our artists and various gatherings where we presented Serbian creativity and national heritage to the American and world public. We owe the greater presence of Serbian culture in the local diplomatic corps and American public life to the support of President Vucic and our Government, thanks to whom we now have two Serbian houses in the US capital - in record time we acquired the new Embassy building in a prestigious location near the White House and managed to renovate and restore the former Serbian royal and now ambassadorial residence in the heart of Washington.

How did you experience your diplomatic mission in the United States of America? What are the biggest challenges you have faced and how do you plan to further improve relations between the two countries?

It is an immense honor for me to represent our motherland as an ambassador in what is certainly the largest and most important country in the Western world. Along with that honor came a huge responsibility and obligation to, directly in Washington, in daily contacts with representatives of the American administration, continue to implement the policy that Aleksandar Vucic started first as prime minister and then as president, building and strengthening relations with international partners both in Serbia and abroad. I can say that the biggest challenge of serving in America was precisely the work to change the negative image of Serbia from the nineties of the last century, deeply rooted in the consciousness of people in America together with a lot of prejudices and prejudices about our country and about us as a people. Although challenging, this task makes me the most proud because the results of major changes in our country during the past decade are obvious and visible through a different awareness of Serbia that we are gradually building, Serbia as a stable and strong country in the political and economic sense, Serbia as a partner with whom can talk and negotiate on an equal footing. We have big plans for this year as well, we are preparing a lot of good things for Serbia and our citizens, and I hope that I will be able to reveal some of them to you soon.

How do you plan to celebrate Orthodox Christmas in the United States of America this year?

We will celebrate the happiest Orthodox holiday in the spirit of all customs and our traditions - by welcoming officials, breaking garlic and attending the Christmas liturgy in our Church of St. Luke in Maryland together with our emigrants.

Can you talk about the importance of the diaspora in strengthening ties between Serbia and the United States of America during the holiday season?

The community of Serbs in America, in addition to being our largest diaspora in the world, is the most diverse in every sense - political, economic, academic, cultural, philanthropic. These are mixed generations of people who came to America a few years ago, a few decades or even a century ago, but who are all united by love for their homeland and the desire to create new bridges between our two peoples based on the former alliance of our countries. As a kind of ambassadors of Serbian interests on American territory, they want to further promote the image of Serbia as a country of partners and collaborators with their actions and activities, as well as to contribute to the promotion of our country and the preservation of Serbian culture and tradition in these areas, and our task as a country is to provide them with maximum support and help in all of this.

There is a lot of talk that the future government should have a ministry for diaspora? What's your take on that?

Serbs in the region and in the world are an important part of Serbia's foreign policy profile, and they play one of the key roles both in representing our country and fighting for its interests, as well as in strengthening the ties between Serbia and the foreign countries where they live. Through the previous work of the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the region, as a body within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in which director Arno Guyon brought special zeal and enthusiasm with his efforts, a good synergy of state bodies has been demonstrated in terms of using the capacities of the branched diplomatic-consular network for strengthening communication and cooperation between the motherland and the diaspora. The team of Minister Djordje Milicevic also works in the current cabinet in Nemanjina Street, which also actively develops relations between the motherland and the diaspora. The modalities of the organization of our executive power in the next four years will depend on the vision of further progress and prosperity of Serbia of the future mandate proposed by President Vucic to the National Assembly, but also on the elected representatives of the people in our Parliament who make the final decision. Whatever the future form of that state body that will represent a bridge of cooperation between the homeland and the Serbian people in the world, I think it is more important to concentrate on its very essence, which is further work on building a partnership and relationship of trust between the emigration and institutions in Serbia, as well as the responsibility, dedication and expertise of the personnel who will be at its head and in its composition.

How do you plan to maintain ties and cooperation between Serbia and the USA in the coming year, given the current challenges?

I believe that in the last three years, the level of relations between Serbia and America has not only risen, but additional foundations have been laid for their further improvement in numerous areas of interest to our country and our citizens. With regular consultation with President Vucic and our state leadership, as well as their immeasurably significant support for our work, we plan to continue with our team at the Embassy to contribute to strengthening the image of Serbia in America as a successful country, a country of great opportunities and rich culture, as well as further expansion our bilateral cooperation on the political, economic, defense, cultural and every other level, which is also the duty of the Serbian Embassy in the USA.

Is there a particular custom or tradition that you particularly emphasize or cherish during the holiday season?

At home, we all love homemade Serbian food, so there is a big emphasis on that, but the matter does not end there. Starting from the family celebration of St. Nicholas Day, until the Serbian New Year, we try to instill in our children, in addition to love, the importance of knowing the culture, traditions and customs of our people from a young age, just as our ancestors did for us. And we do it with the same joy and dedication whether we are in Serbia or America. If I had to select a few during those almost month-long holidays, I would opt for those that bring special joy to my three daughters.

Do you have time for a break during the Christmas holidays?

I have time for a little break. Holidays are a special time for gathering and socializing with family and friends, but also for reviewing and analyzing the previous year, everything done and achieved. In the work of the Serbian diplomatic representative in Washington, it is also an important period when we make plans for new activities to promote our country and devise a strategy for further improvement of relations between Serbia and the USA.

Where and with whom will you spend the Christmas holidays?

This year, for the first time, I am spending the Christmas holidays in our newly opened residence in the heart of Washington with family and friends.

What is your message to citizens for 2024?

In the new year 2024, I wish all citizens of Serbia to be served primarily by good health, to be followed by success in all fields, to be inspired and encouraged by the ancient, age-old values of our people to be better people, to do good deeds, to foster harmony, tolerance, mutual appreciation and respect, and that we all muster the strength to face and overcome the challenges that the future will inevitably bring. To our brothers and sisters in Kosovo in particular, in addition to all of the above, I wish peace, stability and perseverance in preserving the Serbian spirit. Peace of God, Christ is born!