Vucevic: Important for the US to hear Serbia's position on Kosovo

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic stated today that it is important for Serbia and the US to strengthen cooperation through the format of strategic dialogue, noting that key regional issues cannot be resolved without America, and it is especially significant for the US to better understand Serbia's position regarding Kosovo.

"There are many areas where we expect to align our views with the US, primarily to establish this format of strategic dialogue between the two countries," Vucevic told reporters in Belgrade, commenting on the announcement that Serbia and the US will sign a strategic dialogue agreement this weekend. He pointed out that the US is undoubtedly the world's leading power, and that resolving key regional issues is unimaginable without US involvement.

"It is important for us that the US hears the Serbian position on Kosovo and Metohija more clearly or loudly, as well as regarding the region, primarily Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republic of Srpska," Vucevic noted.

As important areas of cooperation, he listed the economy, energy, defense, and security.

"I would like us to have closer relations in the field of defense; we have been interested in certain purchases from the US, in terms of weapons and military equipment," Vucevic said.

He added that there is also significant cooperation in the fields of cyber security, intelligence sharing, migration movement control, combating human smuggling, and drug trafficking.

"These are all areas of interest for both countries, and I believe that the arrival of the new administration in Washington will give a particular impetus to the development of relations," said the Prime Minister of Serbia.

On the Bosnia and Herzegovina protest note: Embrace Republic of Srpska if you want Bosnia and Herzegovina to be a functional state

Asked about the protest note from Bosnia and Herzegovina, due to the participation of Serbia's state leadership in marking the Day of Republic of Srpska, Vucevic urged political Sarajevo to embrace Republic of Srpska, if they want Bosnia and Herzegovina to be a functional state, instead of labeling the Serbian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina as genocidal.

"It's strange to me that someone who talks about Bosnia and Herzegovina as their state and homeland and wants Bosnia and Herzegovina to be a functional, strengthening state is saying this while doing something completely opposite," Vucevic remarked, referring to the statement by Bosnia and Herzegovina's Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic.

He mentioned that some in Sarajevo are constantly marginalizing and attacking half of their state, one of its entities, while declaring at least a third of the population of that state as genocidal, with a negative narrative.

"Don't do that. If you want Bosnia and Herzegovina to be a more functional state, my friendly, neighborly advice for political Sarajevo is - embrace Republic of Srpska, show respect to Republic of Srpska, as it will return to you manifold. Show respect to Republic of Srpska once, which is not a product of charity but of defensive battles and the war of the Serbian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina," Vucevic advised.

He added that just as Bosniaks in Bosnia and Herzegovina believe they fought a defensive war, so do the Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina see it.

He emphasized that we should never return to the '90s or the '40s, but it is necessary to discuss the Belgrade-Sarajevo highway, the Belgrade-Sarajevo railway, the road to Banja Luka, and connecting the two countries.

"We have no problem with them coming to Novi Pazar, Sjenica, but they cannot forbid us to visit relatives, friends, brothers, sisters in Republic of Srpska. This is part of European values, and we should live in such a region. Embrace Republic of Srpska, and you will have a better Bosnia and Herzegovina. Declaring part of the population genocidal, and wanting Bosnia and Herzegovina to be functional - how does that make sense? Konakovic has said a lot, my advice to him is to pronounce the name Republic of Srpska, to show respect to the Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it will be much better for all three nations and both entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina," said Prime Minister Vucevic.