Dacic: US has its interests, as does Serbia; we need to find common ground

Speaking at a conference organized to mark America Day in the Serbian Parliament, Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic stated that not all US and Serbian national and state interests were the same and that they never would be, but that it was necessary to seek common interests and ground without being unfriendly.

"Neither America nor Russia will ever install someone in power in Serbia. We must respect each other and find common ground. Our interests are not the same, but the US and the EU also do not have the same views on every issue, and we should not be unfriendly. I think that in all of this, we must keep in mind that the US is a superpower, just as the US must keep in mind the interests of the largest nation and state in the region. In this sense, without getting into what happened, we need to seek our common ground," Dacic said.

He added that it was true that key issues in the region needed to be resolved and pointed out that Serbia had always been on the right side of history, unlike others in the region who, as he said, "were almost all throwing flowers at Hitler's soldiers."

Paying due tribute to the victims of September 11th in the US, Dacic conveyed the solidarity of the Serbian people and Serbia with the US and expressed hope that Serbia and the US were on the right path to arrange their relations as both states wished to have, as they deserved, and as they had had for most of the 142-year-long tradition of diplomatic relations.

He emphasized that every state had fundamental principles and that foreign policy was part of national and state interests.

"The US has its interests, as does Serbia, sometimes they coincide, sometimes not, sometimes there's understanding, sometimes not. I just want to point out that in the key events in human history, Serbia has been on the right side, unlike others who both started the First and Second World Wars, and unlike other nations in this region who were all, without exception, on the side of those who started the wars," the head of Serbian diplomacy said.

Serbia paid a high price for its desire for freedom and independence, Dacic adds and asks if, looking through history, one should question whether the fight for freedom is more valuable than collaboration with the enemy.

However, while noting that the Socialist Party of Serbia, of which he is president, is not ideologically close to the movement from World War II that helped save American pilots in Pranjani from an improvised airstrip, Dacic stressed that they were proud of Operation "Halyard" and that they participated in commemorations.

"And you saw what happened in Sarajevo. I must say that I did not notice the reaction of the US Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We should all be proud of that common history and learn from what was not right," he said.

Recalling that Serbia joined the ASEAN Treaty in recent days, Dacic said that this was a very significant event for Serbia and had nothing to do with Serbia's commitment to becoming an EU member.

He emphasizes that Serbia is not a member of ASEAN, and it is not even possible to become one, but that it wants to participate in the work of these international organizations.

"I see that some ignorant people conducted a campaign suggesting that this is yet another confirmation that Serbia is looking towards the East. I would kindly ask people to speak about what they know. This is our most well-intentioned initiative, one that has been ongoing since 2009 and has materialized this year with the help of Indonesia as the chair. We have interests there, both economically and politically. The majority of these countries have not recognized Kosovo, and the Indonesian minister herself has stated that they will not change their stance on this issue," Dacic emphasized.

As he says, when it comes to economic interest, last year the external trade exchange with ASEAN member countries amounted to $700 million, and this year more than a billion dollars is expected.