Hill on the attack on the Ibar-Lepenac canal: We see no evidence pointing to Belgrade

US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill stated that the rights of Serbs living in Kosovo are one of the central pillars of the dialogue process and emphasized that the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities is essential, RTS reports.

Hill said that while Serbia and the US hold different views on Kosovo, they must not allow this to hinder cooperation in other areas.

“We must agree to disagree on some matters. One of the most important things we can do is continue economic cooperation. Serbia is already a leader in technological investments. We employ many young Serbs, and Serbia is our leading trade partner in the region, which is very important. However, the relationship cannot be based solely on economics, it must also involve political understanding and identifying areas of joint effort,” Hill said.

Speaking about the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Hill expressed the US's satisfaction with Serbia’s support for the process.

“It is very challenging, but I must say that Serbia comes well-prepared to these talks. While progress is sometimes not achieved, I don’t believe anyone blames Serbia for the lack of understanding that can emerge during the process. I consider the rights of Serbs living in Kosovo to be one of the central pillars of the dialogue,” he said.

He noted that the matter of the Community of Serbian Municipalities is absolutely crucial and that it must be established.

“We have supported it since it was first agreed upon about 12 years ago, and it must be implemented. Although people have heard this repeatedly and are frustrated by its lack of implementation, it remains critical to focus on moving it forward,” he stated, adding:

"One of the more important elements is that the US and the EU must cooperate. The European Union is leading this process because, ultimately, Serbia is in Europe. This must be understood, but we do not want a situation where anyone thinks there is a difference between the EU and the US. We must remain very close to the EU, and I think we are doing a good job of that here in Serbia."

He added that, in the long term, normalization of relations must be achieved, and emphasized that there must be significantly fewer incidents.

“Serbs need to understand their future in Kosovo, and we strongly support that, so there is still much work to be done. While progress has been made, it is clear that it is not enough, and we need to work on that much more,” Hill added.

The European Union recently imposed a kind of sanction on Pristina due to its behavior, while sanctions from Washington have been absent. Christopher Hill explained that there are some differences in tactics, as well as that the decision-making process is different.

"In the European Union, there are 27 countries that must agree. We don't have that situation, and it is obvious that there will be some tactical differences, but we are speaking with an overall goal of achieving some kind of normalization, so that it stops being a crisis point. I believe that normalization starts with the understanding that the Community of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo must know what their future holds and feel good where they live," Hill said.

Regarding the attack on the Ibar-Lepenac Canal, Hill emphasized the need to uncover the truth about the perpetrators.

“We certainly see no evidence pointing to Belgrade, but someone did it, and a thorough investigation must be conducted. It is positive that support is being provided through the FBI for this investigation. However, this reflects a lack of trust and a tendency toward mutual accusations,” Hill noted.

He stated that there are no indications that sanctions will be imposed on the NIS company. He emphasized that the final decision on this matter will not impact the Serbian economy.

"I can tell you that since the Russians bought NIS, there has been significant concern about it, because it is the only refinery in Serbia, and since it came under majority Russian ownership, it has worried many people for years. This concern is even greater due to the fact that Russia continues to wage a barbaric war against Ukraine. There is no other word to describe it except barbaric, considering that it is the 21st century, and it is still ongoing," Hill said.

He added that there are concerns about whether NIS in Russian hands is somehow helping to finance the war, and that these are legitimate questions that need to be carefully considered.

"We will see what the outcome will be. I want to assure you that, in no way, will the final decision impact the Serbian economy. We are very interested in Serbia continuing to have a very successful economy, with a good growth rate that has been achieved, and we want that to continue," Hill emphasized.

Speaking about the relations between Belgrade and Washington, Hill, who will mark his thousandth day as ambassador in Serbia tomorrow, said that the relations are good and that a solid platform for further development has been created.

"I think it is very important that we understand how we can move forward in the energy sector, which is a key issue in Serbia because this country's energy needs will grow. I also think we are increasing the capacity to talk about strategic issues, not just bilateral ones," said Hill.

He added that there are many topics to discuss, one of which is peace in Europe and the fact that Serbia has connections around the world.