Velebit: Next week in Washington, the first-ever conference on Serbian-American relations

The executive director of the Pupin Initiative, Vuk Velebit, announced that next week in Washington, the first-ever conference on Serbian-American relations will be held. The event will bring together representatives from the Serbian and American administrations, as well as members of Congress from both the Republican and Democratic parties.

The conference will take place on September 18, with participants including Serbia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Djuric and a keynote speech by the newly appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Balkans, Aleksandar Sasa Kazanov.

In an interview with Tanjug, Velebit emphasized that this is an excellent way to showcase Serbia and highlight how important Serbian-American relations are for the stability of the region. He added that the U.S. needs to take more action to maintain peace in the region due to destabilizing factors from Pristina.

"I believe that peace is in Serbia's interest, and I think this aligns with American interests," Velebit pointed out.

Recently, representatives of the Pupin Initiative visited Kosovo, touring Gorazdevac, North Mitrovica, Gracanica, and Pristina.

Their visit began with a tour of the Visoki Decani Monastery, followed by discussions with locals in Gorazdevac, priest Nenad Naspalic, and Radio Gorazdevac's editor-in-chief, Darko Dimitrijevic.

In North Mitrovica, they met with civil sector representatives, including Zlatan Elek and Dragisa Milovic from Srpska Lista, former president of the Basic Court in North Mitrovica Nikola Kabasic, and Aleksandar Arsenijevic from Srpska Demokratija. They also visited the Clinical-Hospital Center in Kosovska Mitrovica, expressing serious concerns about a potential humanitarian crisis due to a shortage of essential medicines.

In Gracanica and Pristina, Velebit and his team spoke with Metropolitan Teodosije and journalist/writer Zivojin Rakocevic. Reflecting on their visit, they noted that the Serbs in Kosovo deserve great respect given the difficult conditions they live in.

Commenting on the debate between Democratic and Republican candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, Velebit said it was expected and that it is unlikely to change the views of their supporters. He emphasized that it is important for Serbia to build relations with both the Republican and Democratic parties in the U.S.

Velebit noted that Harris managed to surprise Trump by changing her debate tactics, causing him to shift his focus from policies to more personal and trivial issues.

Regarding the impact of the debate, Velebit mentioned that while polls suggest Harris won, both candidates' supporters remain loyal. He also highlighted that pop star Taylor Swift's endorsement of Harris after the debate would likely give her additional public support, especially among liberals.

Velebit concluded by stating that it is crucial for Serbia to maintain relationships with both parties and not fully align with one candidate.