Djuric: Grenell had a different approach to Kosovo; I expect willingness to cooperate from the new Trump administration

Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Djuric noted that during Donald Trump’s first presidential term, relations between Serbs and Albanians had been at a much higher level, with a focus on achieving compromise through economic cooperation. He expressed his expectation for a willingness to collaborate from the new Trump administration as well.

Commenting on the return of President Donald Trump to the helm of the United States, Djuric emphasized that former Trump Envoy Richard Grenell had had a different approach and that he had strived to establish a new type of relationship between Serbs and Albanians by fostering economic ties.

"And it is clear which economy in the region is the strongest – Serbia’s economy. It is in our interest to have open borders so that our goods can circulate freely, and this is the vision with which President Vucic entered the creation of the Open Balkan initiative," Djuric stated on Happy TV.

Djuric emphasizes that the Serbian language, identity, culture, and history must be preserved.

"In the 21st century, the issue of our identity, culture, language, and script, under the pressure of new technologies and media, has become one of the greatest challenges. Therefore, if we want to preserve our people, we must preserve our values. This is one of the reasons I entered politics, although now I approach this from a different foreign policy perspective. Nevertheless, I still hold the same views as when I headed the Office for Kosovo and Metohija," Djuric stated.

He added that the Serbian government under Prime Minister Milos Vucevic allocates more funds for Serbs in Kosovo than any previous government, highlighting that the budget of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija has more than doubled compared to when he led the Office.

As he pointed out, the main news in Kosovo and Albanian media is the constant recycling of a picture of Kurti at Kamala Harris’s convention, saying that the opposition seeks to use this for electoral purposes ahead of elections.

He assessed that "Kurti's regime made a fatal strategic mistake by putting all its eggs in one basket," referring to its exclusive support for the Democrats.

Commenting on the tearing of Trump's posters in Kosovo, he emphasized that everyone in the US Congress and Trump’s team had been informed about it.

"I made sure that everyone in the US Congress who needed to see it, as well as everyone in Trump’s team, saw Kurti’s people tearing Trump’s posters," Djuric said.

When asked about Serbia's expectations from a new Trump administration, Djuric stated that they expect readiness to hear Serbia's position and emphasized that working with a power like the United States requires persistence and consistency. For this reason, he explained, Serbia has worked to create a Serbian lobby in America, and the Serbian Caucus in Congress has more than doubled.

Research showing that Serbs in Europe were the most favorable toward Trump’s election, he noted, reflects the Serbian people’s appetite for a different and better relationship with the US based on mutual respect and appreciation.

He added that there is reason to believe that Serbia-US relations will improve further in the coming period, economically, politically, and in every other sense. He pointed out that American companies in Serbia are involved in key infrastructure projects like the Morava Corridor, as well as in energy and the IT sector.

"American politics today must take into account the interests of American companies in Serbia. This is something we lacked since the 1990s. You don’t attack a country where key American companies operate; no American policy will fundamentally go against the interests of its companies," Djuric asserted.

He noted that thanks to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and the current Serbian government, Serbia today commemorates anniversaries of aggression with dignity and preserves and cherishes the memory of the victims and the injustice inflicted upon it.

However, as he added, the government does not want Serbia to remain underdeveloped and disconnected, lacking friendly and diverse relations with the world.

"We are fighting to change the perception of us, to gain new friends. Why shouldn’t others fear our friends and connections in the world, instead of us always allowing ourselves to be pushed aside," Djuric observed.

Regarding the presence of Euroscepticism among citizens, Djuric said that Serbian society is divided on whether Serbia should join the EU, which he considers understandable given that Serbia has been unable to attain full membership for over 20 years.

"That is why signals like the opening of Cluster 3 are important, so the public in Serbia, the political class, and all citizens recognize that European institutions and countries want Serbia as an equal member. It is also significant that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Serbia and clearly conveyed that they see us in Europe," Djuric noted.

He added that it is crucial for Serbia to carry out all necessary reforms, emphasizing that the demands of certain countries regarding Kosovo, which Belgrade cannot and will not accept, must not be conflated with the issue of Serbia's EU membership.