Belgrade daily on date of Clinton visit

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will probably travel to Belgrade on October 12, Belgrade daily Vecernje novosti has unofficially learned. Although the paper's sources claim that dates have not been set yet, it is obvious that Clinton’s arrival coincides with the announced beginning of new negotiations on Kosovo, said the article. Belgrade daily on date of Clinton visit It is to be expected that Serbian hosts and their high guest will start talking about modalities of a future dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, as well as about continuation of Serbia’s European path, the daily wrote. The U.S. secretary of state will come to Belgrade only a month after the amended Serbian resolution was adopted at the UN, “which could also be a signal that Serbia and America are on the right path to gradually overcome decade-long misunderstandings caused by NATO bombs in 1999 and recognition of independent Kosovo”. Former Serbian Ambassador in Washington Ivan Vujacic thinks that Clinton's visit is good news because it “shows America's readiness to engage together with the EU in the sense of further European integrations of the region“. “The goal certainly is that the U.S. helps the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina under the EU wing,” he told Vecernje Novosti. “It is also a good opportunity to announce our side’s positions ahead of the continuation of the negotiations on Kosovo. Still, the visit should not be understood as some spectacular twist. U.S. will, without any doubt, support our aspirations toward the EU but they expect us to be constructive during the upcoming dialogue. And they certainly won’t change their position on Kosovo,” Vujacic added. Professor at the Faculty of Political Science Predrag Simic believes that Clinton is not coming to Belgrade in order to “twist arms”. “I don’t believe that because we have made such a turn that we’re practically rushing into Pristina’s arms,” the professor pointed out. “Belgrade’s readiness to concessions is obviously greater than the Albanians’. Besides, the fact itself that the U.S. secretary of state is coming to some country is a powerful signal that they don’t see the country as an enemy,” he explained. Simic expects that the U.S. will be a strong wind at Serbia’s back regarding EU membership after the resolution in the UN was changed. “Figuratively speaking, the U.S. is the most powerful of all 27 EU member states. But our government at the same time must make sure that coming closer to the U.S. does not also bring cooling of relations with Moscow,” he pointed out. Without a doubt, writes the newspaper, Clinton’s visit will be a big diplomatic event. It will also be an overture for a Serbian-Italian government summit which is scheduled to be held in Belgrade on October 13 and 14. Hillary Clinton (Beta, file)

Belgrade daily on date of Clinton visit

It is to be expected that Serbian hosts and their high guest will start talking about modalities of a future dialogue between Belgrade and Priština, as well as about continuation of Serbia’s European path, the daily wrote.

The U.S. secretary of state will come to Belgrade only a month after the amended Serbian resolution was adopted at the UN, “which could also be a signal that Serbia and America are on the right path to gradually overcome decade-long misunderstandings caused by NATO bombs in 1999 and recognition of independent Kosovo”.

Former Serbian Ambassador in Washington Ivan Vujačić thinks that Clinton's visit is good news because it “shows America's readiness to engage together with the EU in the sense of further European integrations of the region“.

“The goal certainly is that the U.S. helps the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština under the EU wing,” he told Večernje Novosti.

“It is also a good opportunity to announce our side’s positions ahead of the continuation of the negotiations on Kosovo. Still, the visit should not be understood as some spectacular twist. U.S. will, without any doubt, support our aspirations toward the EU but they expect us to be constructive during the upcoming dialogue. And they certainly won’t change their position on Kosovo,” Vujačić added.

Professor at the Faculty of Political Science Predrag Simić believes that Clinton is not coming to Belgrade in order to “twist arms”.

“I don’t believe that because we have made such a turn that we’re practically rushing into Priština’s arms,” the professor pointed out.

“Belgrade’s readiness to concessions is obviously greater than the Albanians’. Besides, the fact itself that the U.S. secretary of state is coming to some country is a powerful signal that they don’t see the country as an enemy,” he explained.

Simić expects that the U.S. will be a strong wind at Serbia’s back regarding EU membership after the resolution in the UN was changed.

“Figuratively speaking, the U.S. is the most powerful of all 27 EU member states. But our government at the same time must make sure that coming closer to the U.S. does not also bring cooling of relations with Moscow,” he pointed out.

Without a doubt, writes the newspaper, Clinton’s visit will be a big diplomatic event. It will also be an overture for a Serbian-Italian government summit which is scheduled to be held in Belgrade on October 13 and 14.