Obama adviser: Serbia needs help

Former U.S. envoy to the Balkans Robert Gelbard says that Washington must help Serbia progress and consolidate democracy and stability.

Izvor: Beta

Wednesday, 28.01.2009.

11:54

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Former U.S. envoy to the Balkans Robert Gelbard says that Washington must help Serbia progress and consolidate democracy and stability. “Serbia is the most important country in the Balkans that has an influence on the whole region,” Gelbard explained. Obama adviser: Serbia needs help “The Balkans are a very important region and the United States of America should closely cooperate with the European Union and Russia in order to preserve the progress made in the last decade,” he told Serbian-language VOA. Gelbard, who was a member of the national security transition team in the election campaign of U.S. President Barack Obama, criticized the policy of the George Bush administration which had completely ignored the Balkans in the first four years, and had focused exclusively on Kosovo during the second term. “I pointed out on a number of occasions that Serbia was the central country in the Balkans and that she had to be helped to progress and to consolidate democracy and stability. If she fails to do so, the whole region will suffer the repercussions,” he stressed. “I think that we now have a very good authority there with President Boris Tadic at its head,” Gelbard said, warning however that Serbia, like the whole world, had been hit by the economic crisis. Speaking of relations between the U.S. and Russia, the former envoy to the Balkans during the Bill Clinton administration said that a new beginning was required “in spite of the recent unpleasant rhetoric,” particularly in view of the fact that both countries had such an important role to play. For this reason, Washington and Moscow had to find a model of constructive cooperation, said Gelbard.

Obama adviser: Serbia needs help

“The Balkans are a very important region and the United States of America should closely cooperate with the European Union and Russia in order to preserve the progress made in the last decade,” he told Serbian-language VOA.

Gelbard, who was a member of the national security transition team in the election campaign of U.S. President Barack Obama, criticized the policy of the George Bush administration which had completely ignored the Balkans in the first four years, and had focused exclusively on Kosovo during the second term.

“I pointed out on a number of occasions that Serbia was the central country in the Balkans and that she had to be helped to progress and to consolidate democracy and stability. If she fails to do so, the whole region will suffer the repercussions,” he stressed.

“I think that we now have a very good authority there with President Boris Tadić at its head,” Gelbard said, warning however that Serbia, like the whole world, had been hit by the economic crisis.

Speaking of relations between the U.S. and Russia, the former envoy to the Balkans during the Bill Clinton administration said that a new beginning was required “in spite of the recent unpleasant rhetoric,” particularly in view of the fact that both countries had such an important role to play.

For this reason, Washington and Moscow had to find a model of constructive cooperation, said Gelbard.

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