Vladisavljev: The Washington Agreement has not completely disappeared

Stefan Vladisavljev, Program Coordinator at the BFPE Foundation for a Responsible Society, told Kosovo Online that the Washington Agreement has not completely disappeared, although the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has not focused on its implementation.

"Economic cooperation, which was the main point of this agreement, could be one way to enhance future cooperation between Washington and Belgrade," Vladisavljev stated.

Considering that the Washington Agreement was signed at the end of Donald Trump’s first term, Vladisavljev highlighted that there wasn’t much time for its implementation by Trump’s administration from 2016 to 2020.

"Some elements of the agreement have been implemented, including the fact that Serbia still hasn’t introduced a 5G network, as one part of the agreement stipulated that Serbia must not collaborate with unreliable suppliers, with Chinese suppliers previously being leaders in building Serbia’s 5G infrastructure. It seems that the greatest potential for improving U.S.-Serbia relations lies in economic cooperation. If the U.S. shows an understanding of the necessity to provide various forms of capital for infrastructure development, foreign direct investment in Serbia, or increasing foreign trade volumes, this could indirectly fulfill parts of the Washington Agreement, even if it goes by a different name," Vladisavljev explained.

He added that after appointing individuals responsible for addressing this part of the world, the new U.S. administration will need to take into account the developments in U.S.-Serbia relations over the past four years.

"It’s a fact that in recent history, relations have not been at such a high level. There will likely be a review of various forms of cooperation and frameworks that define this cooperation. Whether the Washington Agreement will be fully implemented—or implemented at all—remains a question for the period following the appointment of key individuals in the U.S. administration. I wouldn’t be surprised if new frameworks are established to define positive progress that has undoubtedly been made in recent years," Vladisavljev concluded.