Joksimovic: Brnovich’s appointment is political, it is not uncommon in US diplomacy

The Director of the Center for Foreign Policy and former Serbian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Aleksandra Joksimovic, stated that the future US ambassador to Serbia, Mark Brnovich, will primarily rely on the positions of Donald Trump and the entire US government during his mandate. She characterized his appointment as political, noting that this is not uncommon in US diplomacy.

“There are certain diplomatic posts, such as those in Paris and London, where political appointments are almost a rule. However, when it comes to Serbia and the region, this has not been the case until now. This can be interpreted as a sign that Trump does not have much trust in the previous administration, or even in the State Department and the broader governmental administration. In this context, it seems likely that there will be more political appointments during his tenure than before. Whether Serbia will remain isolated in this regard within the region remains to be seen, which will help determine whether special emphasis is being placed on Serbia or if this is simply a broader policy Trump intends to follow,” Joksimovic said in an interview for Kosovo Online.

Despite Brnovich's lack of diplomatic experience, Joksimovic believes he will adhere strictly to Trump’s policies as they are formulated.

“We already know that Serbia has drawn special interest through projects involving the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and we also saw that Trump’s son visited Serbia. I believe that Mark Brnovich will pursue his own priorities as well. During his previous visits to the region, he spoke about the need for economic growth and its connection to the rule of law, which aligns with his background as Arizona’s Attorney General. Brnovich speaks Serbian, and his heritage suggests an additional personal motivation and interest in Serbia. However, as US ambassador, he will ultimately align with the positions of Donald Trump and the broader US administration,” Joksimovic explained.

Trump, she added, has already demonstrated some understanding of Serbia’s positions and key national interests.

“At the end of his previous term, we saw the signing of the Washington Agreement, which has not been fully implemented. Whether Trump, when he turns his attention to the Western Balkans, will continue implementing existing agreements and how he might potentially expand upon them remains to be seen. There will certainly be more willingness to consider Belgrade’s interests, but we should not expect major shifts in US policy toward the region beyond what is already in place,” Joksimovic concluded.