Congressman Swalwell: A different view of Serbia thanks to Vucic and Djuric

American Congressman from California, Erik Swalwell, participated today in the "Pupin Forum" in Washington, where he spoke very highly of Serbia, its president Aleksandar Vucic, and the head of diplomacy Marko Djuric.

Swalwell, emphasizing that his current view of Serbia is fundamentally different from the one he had in the past, offered numerous compliments to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, noting, among other things, that Serbia is a safer country today thanks to him.

The congressman reflected on his conversation with President Vucic, recalling that in that exchange of views, he emphasized the need for politics to be driven by the interests of the people.

"I told him that politics should be aligned with how people position their hearts and feet. When they leave Serbia, they don’t go in significant numbers to Russia or China, but they come to the U.S. And so, when you think about who should be your best partner in the 21st century, it should be the country where your people would go if they decided to leave their own," Swalwell said.

He also praised the contribution of the former Serbian ambassador to the U.S., Marko Djuric, in improving Serbian-American relations.

Speaking on the panel, which also included the Serbian Foreign Minister, Swalwell pointed out that as an ambassador, Djuric was part of the most talented segment of the diplomatic corps in the U.S.

"When countries send ambassadors to the U.S., they send the best they have. So Ambassador Djuric was among the best of the best that the world has to offer," said Swalwell.

The congressman emphasized that he had built an excellent friendly relationship with the Serbian Foreign Minister during his time in Washington.

"Marko explained to me why Serbia is important to the U.S., and we didn’t miss opportunities to build a personal friendship... He is responsible for showing me what kind of partner Serbia can be in the fields of national security, energy, and advanced technologies," Swalwell said.

He pointed out the need to think globally, in terms of national interests, but also economically.

In this context, he highlighted that there are countries like Serbia where investment can be made with confidence.

Speaking about Serbia’s position on the war in Ukraine, Swalwell said that his views changed while working with Marko Djuric, as he realized that Serbia has interests and connections in all four directions.

As he pointed out, Serbia is connected to Russia geographically, culturally, religiously, and through energy, to China because China is economically dominant almost everywhere in the world, to the EU due to its aspirations to become a member, and to the U.S.

Highlighting that the U.S. faces strong competition, Swalwell notes as extremely positive the fact that Serbia has supported the U.S. in every vote in the UN regarding Ukraine, and that it has done even more to support Ukraine, such as accepting refugees.

He emphasized that this is very important because, despite its ties with Russia, Serbia has taken this stance.

He added that this is thanks to President Vucic and people like Minister Djuric.

Speaking about the Western Balkans region, Swalwell said that it is important to expand the Open Balkan Initiative because, aside from peace and stability, it contributes to the economic development of all countries.

For regional stability, he emphasized the need for strong partnerships.

Swalwell also mentioned that it is important for the U.S. that Serbia is involved in the lithium project with the EU because, as he emphasized, they do not want to see Chinese exploitation.

"We want Serbia to handle that exploitation," Swalwell stated.