Djuric: Trump’s victory sparked hope, Serbia’s fight for Kosovo depends on economic capabilities

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric stated that Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. elections has sparked a lot of hope among our people in the region and globally, but that Serbia’s fight for Kosovo depends on its ability to position itself as a significant economic partner.

When asked about the details of the conversation between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Donald Trump, Djuric, appearing on TV Pink, said it’s important for Serbia that Vucic was one of the first leaders to speak with Trump.

“This conversation didn’t happen by chance; it’s the result of Serbia’s focus on resolving regional relations,” said Djuric.

When asked if there’s a possibility that Serbia could host Trump in Belgrade, Djuric said it was one of the topics of discussion between Vucic and Trump.

“The last U.S. president to visit Serbia was Jimmy Carter in October 1980. The fact that 44 years have passed without a U.S. president visiting Serbia was something I used as an argument when extending invitations. Since Serbia has a strong appetite for enhancing economic cooperation, I’m certain Trump would be more warmly welcomed in Belgrade than anywhere else in the region,” Djuric said.

When asked if Serbia expects a stronger role from the new U.S. administration on issues in Kosovo, Djuric said that this Serbian administration has invested more in supporting Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija than any previous administration.

“The budget for the Office for Kosovo and Metohija will be a record high, funding social benefits for our people living in Kosovo as well as schools and hospitals. The main heroes in the story of the survival of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija are our people who endure pressure and hardships there. As for the future American administration’s policy, it was amusing to see how panicked they were in Pristina, with posters of Trump and Grenell plastered everywhere. For us, it’s important that the voices of Serbs will be more heard. The international community faces a significant test with Kosovo. Let’s start by showing this through support for the most vulnerable ethnic community in Europe today, the Serbs in Kosovo, and finally implement the Brussels and Washington agreements, which Kurti seems to want to ignore,” Djuric emphasized.

He added that they established a Serbian-American business council in Washington two years ago in cooperation with the American Central European Business Association.

“Mr. Stu Jones led the Serbian-American business council for two years. They have had talks with President Vucic, Minister Mali, and with me. We want to utilize fresh American capital to strengthen our economic ties, which impacts our political relationships as well. Our fight for Kosovo and Metohija depends on our capacity to assert ourselves as a significant economic partner. This is crucial for positioning on topics that may sometimes seem unrelated, including the issue of Kosovo and Metohija,” the minister stressed.

Djuric said Serbia has led a years-long effort to improve its position in the United States.

“We opened a new embassy building near the White House. The Serbian community in America has become active. In this election campaign, we held support gatherings for one of the presidential candidates. As a country, we didn’t directly take sides, but we encouraged our people to get politically active. That’s changing. It’s no secret that a vast majority of Serbs in America supported Trump. This wasn’t for ideological reasons but national ones, as they believe he would foster better relations with Serbia. In our public sphere, there are also unrealistic expectations and exaggerations, expecting someone to wave a magic wand and resolve regional issues in our favor,” said the Serbian foreign minister.

Djuric added that a key factor is that Serbia stands out for its economic growth.

“GDP has more than doubled in less than a decade, infrastructure is developing, we’ve attracted over 65% of investments, and we’re progressing in many areas. Our foreign policy serves to ensure that Serbia has the capacity for economic growth. The success of foreign policy is measured by the benefits it delivers to citizens, including new friendships and networks of cooperation. In the past six months, I’ve attended 21 international summits, and we’ve hosted numerous foreign ministers here,” Djuric said.

He emphasized that anyone observing Vucic’s relationships with world leaders would conclude that Serbia’s president has achieved great success for Serbia and restored its reputation.

“Serbia pursues a balanced foreign policy. We haven’t stopped speaking with countries in the East, and we have excellent relations with countries in the West. I think new circumstances will create more space for Serbian interests to be heard. We aim to establish connections with the new U.S. administration, and next year could be a year of opportunity for Serbia,” concluded the Serbian foreign minister.