The top US military commander in Europe recently testified before the US Senate about Russia's influence in the Balkans, B92 reports.

Replying to Senator Tom Cotton, General Curtis Scaparrotti singled out Serbia as the greatest cause for concern in this context.

When asked, "Serbia or Republika Srpska" - i.e., Serbia or the Serb Republic, RS, the Serb entity in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Scaparrotti reiterated, "Serbia. "

Below is the part of the transcript of Scaparrotti's testimony given on March 8, that regards Serbia:

Senior American official's Balkan tour shows that America is committed to preventing disputes between Balkan states from becoming ‘frozen conflicts’, analysts say.

The new US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Wess Mitchell, started a tour of Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia and Greece on Monday, aiming to address various potential frozen conflicts in the Balkans region.

I want to say how important it is to my country, my Embassy, that Kosovo Serbs feel at home in Kosovo. We spend a lot of time and effort trying to improve the lives of regular people and we know their challenges, said U.S. Ambassador Greg Delawie during his visit paid to North Mitrovica, KoSSev portal reported.

Full interview is available here: http://kossev.info/strana/arhiva/delawie_/14998

Serbian media widely re-run The Guardian article saying that David Schwendiman, chief prosecutor of a war crimes court for Kosovo, said he was "made to leave the job at a critical stage of the tribunal’s work."

Schwendiman also added he has "no designated successor - largely due to inertia in the US State Department," the article continued.

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic says it is more logical for the US and the UK to withdraw their recognition of Kosovo - than for Russia to recognize it.

The comment, made after Dacic's meeting in Belgrade with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, was prompted by Hashim Thaci saying that Belgrade "would be able to step out of the false mythology" if Russia recognized Kosovo.

Belgrade-Pristina dialogue on normalization of relations must continue, despite the shock caused by the murder of the leader of Civic Initiative, Freedom, Democracy, Justice, Oliver Ivanovic, USA Ambassador to Serbia, Kyle Scot told TV N1.

The Ambassador Scot expressed condolence to the family and all those who knew Oliver Ivanovic.

Commenting on Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic visit to Kosovo, following the murder of Ivanovic, USA Ambassador Scott said it was “right” decision, TV N1 reported.

Former US official who caused a storm with his statements, Brian Hoyt Yee, is no longer listed as an employee of the US State Department, Sputnik is reporting.

The website also said that Yee told Greek media no decision had been made to appoint him as US ambassador in one of the Balkan countries - something Serbian media previously often speculated about.

Chairperson of the Serbian Assembly Committee for Kosovo and Metohija, Milovan Drecun said the investigation of Oliver Ivanovic’s murder should go in two directions, toward Kardi Veseli and Washington, Serbian media widely covered.

Drecun said the current investigation shows it is about a well-planned and unfortunately efficiently carried out brutal murder of Oliver Ivanovic, and according to him professionals were involved.

Continuation of Belgrade-Pristina dialogue at the highest level is not on the sight, even in January, Vecerenje Novosti reported, although the daily unofficially learnt that Federica Mogherini’s cabinet is trying to schedule a new round of dialogue by the end of January next year.

According to the Serbian daily, the main obstacle for continuation of a dialogue is persistence of Pristina to involve USA in it, a move that was not met with approval in Brussels.

“The outcome of the so-called internal dialogue on Kosovo and Metohija would be as its current flow – multiplied voices, and the state leadership must seriously take into account the stance of the majority of Serbs, Serbian Orthodox Church Bishop of Backa Irinej said, emphasising he does not believe the Serbian people would let down its identity formed in Kosovo, KIM Radio reported.