Starovic: Serbia is not choosing any of the candidates for the US presidency, it is advocating for its own interests in Chicago

The Minister of Labor, Employment, Veteran, and Social Affairs in the Government of Serbia, Nemanja Starovic, who is leading the Serbian delegation at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, emphasized that Serbia's participation in this event does not imply that it is choosing any of the two candidates for the U.S. presidential election. Instead, it is an opportunity for Serbia to represent its own interests in the best possible way and to establish political contacts with important representatives of the international community.

Starovic expressed satisfaction with representing Serbia at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, which he considers one of the most important political gatherings, not only in the United States but also on a global level.

He highlighted that the Convention marks the end of the long internal election process within the Democratic Party ahead of the November presidential elections, reminding that Kamala Harris's candidacy will be officially confirmed.

"Our idea and desire is not to take sides in any way here, nor to support the candidates of either of the two leading political parties in the U.S., but primarily to observe how such a large political gathering is organized, to be present, and to represent Serbia in the right way, bearing in mind that such events provide an excellent opportunity to establish numerous political contacts," Starovic said.

He reiterated that this is a grand political event with tens of thousands of participants. All of this, he noted, represents a great political spectacle, expressing confidence that Serbia can learn a lot from it and apply some of it in certain areas.

When asked how he views the speeches of Michelle and Barack Obama, Starovic commented that the former U.S. president and his wife enjoy high ratings and strong support among Democratic Party supporters.

Their presence, participation, speeches, and performances," said Starovic, "significantly contribute to motivating supporters of the Democratic Party to participate in the elections and support the candidate Kamala Harris."

"I truly believe that the speeches by Barack Obama and his wife were very impactful and undoubtedly made a significant contribution to motivating Democratic Party supporters," Starovic added.

Starovic emphasized that it is not Serbia's place to take sides in such a serious contest as the one taking place in the United States.

"The leaders of both political parties do not miss an opportunity to send 'poisonous arrows' to boost their political campaigns. It really seems to me that this race is highly competitive, and that the withdrawal of the current President, Joseph Biden, from the presidential race and Kamala Harris's entry into it has introduced a new dynamic and momentum to the presidential race, which will be very uncertain. We can expect many changes in the coming weeks," Starovic stated.

Regarding the Serbian delegation participating in the Convention, Starovic mentioned that it is small and consists of himself and representatives from the Serbian embassy in Washington.

He emphasized that Serbia's participation in the Democratic National Convention is very important, as the International Leaders Forum, organized by the National Democratic Institute, is held on the sidelines of this event.

At the forum, he added, there are several hundred international representatives of very high profile.

"The Forum includes representatives from all the countries of our region, namely the Western Balkans and Southeast Europe, and it was very important to be present and use every opportunity to represent Serbia's position in the best possible way. I believe we have already succeeded in doing so, and we will continue to do so in the coming days while the Convention is ongoing, through dozens of different meetings and other types of contacts with, I repeat, representatives of the U.S. administration, high-ranking officials from the Democratic Party, as well as with international guests from Europe and other parts of the world," he pointed out.

When asked if the Serbian community in certain U.S. states could tip the balance, Starovic expressed confidence that it is possible.

He recalled that this was the case in 2016 and 2020, emphasizing that the Serbian community in the U.S. is not small.

"There is an interesting concentration in certain states that are considered swing states, where, in fact, one or two thousand votes can determine who that state will choose, thereby indirectly influencing the overall outcome of the presidential election. These are Serbian communities in states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan. I am confident that our compatriots will organize well politically, take this presidential race seriously, and that their actions will, among other things, serve the interests of Serbia and our foreign policy goals," Starovic said.

He reiterated that, as a minister, he does not wish to choose between the two established presidential candidates.

"I believe that these presidential elections are also an opportunity for further organization and affirmation of the Serbian community in the U.S. I think the level of organization is better than ever before; we cannot be completely satisfied, but it is important that year after year, we can clearly see an improving level of organization among Serbs in this significant country," Starovic concluded.

During his visit to the U.S., Starovic visited New Gracanica and Libertyville and met with Bishop Longin.

He also met with Congressman Eric Swalwell.

Special report for KO from Chicago:
Mina Pavlovic, journalist
Dejan Stamenkovic, cameraman