Djuric: New US administration has considerable understanding for Serbia

NEW YORK - Serbian FM Marko Djuric said on Wednesday in New York there was considerable understanding for Serbia in the new US administration.

Djuric was speaking to reporters after a meeting with US Permanent Representative to the UN Michael Waltz.

"He is one of the most influential and the most significant actors of the US foreign policy - until recently, he was President Donald Trump's aide," Djuric noted.

"That is why this was an excellent opportunity for us to present Serbia's position on a series of important issues such as Kosovo-Metohija, including the position of Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija, everything that is happening to our monasteries and churches, as well to ordinary people, who have in the past two years been going through hell created by the Kurti regime, and are still going through it," Djuric said.

He said they had also discussed energy cooperation in the region and added that he had taken the opportunity to ask for more understanding for Serbia's position and highlight the strategic significance of the fact that Serbia was a country that was a friend and a partner to the US, and one where Trump enjoyed unprecedented support as one of the most popular leaders.

"That makes us politically close and urges close cooperation, particularly on such sensitive political issues," Djuric said.

"I think there is considerable sympathy and understanding for Serbia in the new US administration and that it is good that regular high-level discussions and contacts are being maintained, even when difficult decisions need to be discussed openly," Djuric added.

For Serbia, it is important that strategic dialogue with the US is under preparation, representing a major new step forward in the quality of Serbia-US relations, he said.

"We are using these meetings, too, to discuss some of the elements and details of strategic dialogue. We also discussed Serbia-US cooperation in the multilateral sphere. Until now, during the tenures of previous (US) administrations, we have not discussed that too much, but now we have many reasons to support each other in the international arena," Djuric said.

He said the meeting with Waltz had also addressed economic cooperation and noted that Serbia wanted to see more US investments and a higher inflow of US capital, which he noted had revived some eastern European countries.

"We want to see such capital contributing to Serbia’s development, and we also want the US market to become more open and accessible to Serbian companies," Djuric said, adding that the economy and tariffs had been discussed as well.

Commenting on his meeting with Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzia, Djuric said Nebenzia was undoubtedly one of the most significant Russian diplomats today, as well as the current UN Security Council president.

"Nebenzia reiterated Russia's support for Serbia's territorial integrity in Kosovo-Metohija, as well as understanding for Serbia's stance regarding the position of Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija," Djuric said.

He added that meeting with Waltz had also addressed initiatives to commemorate the victims of the 1990s wars, in view of a tendency to treat Serb victims unfairly.

"It is important that, before and after the UN Security Council session, we had direct and detailed discussions with representatives of these two big powers," Djuric said.

He added that he had spoken with China's acting representative to the UN as well since Beijing's support was also very important to Serbia.