Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic says Serbia wants new friendships and good relations with the United States – but will not neglect its “old friends.”
Commenting on the US State Department’s announcement that it will, together with the US Department of Defense, next year draft a report on cooperation of the Western Balkan countries with the US, but also with Russia – Dacic said that “everyone should do their job.”
“Our job is to ensure that Serbia is strong, respected, able to defend itself. We are an independent country that leads a neutral defense policy. That means that our military cooperation is equal with everyone,” Dacic told RTS on Monday.
When it comes to the United States, Dacic says he would like to see President Donald Trump come to Serbia and “say all he has to say.”
“It’s not like we’ll be talking about it with Hoyt Yee. When someone has conversations in Moscow they talk with Putin, not with the head of some department in the Foreign Ministry,” Dacic said, referring to a US State Department official whose comments about Serbia’s foreign policy recently caused strong reactions in Belgrade.
Messages can be sent in that manner to “quasi states” around the world, Dacic continued. “As far as Serbia is concerned, we want good relations with the US, but this takes at least two.”
According to him, Serbia has achieved good results in foreign policy, with President Aleksandar Vucic meeting with “all the leading states people from around the world” over the past few months.
“Serbia has managed to make a step forward in European integrations. We want new friendships with the United States, Britain, France, but we will not neglect our old friends,” the minister stressed.
