Anger, disappointment, satisfaction with U.S. VP visit

Serbia's ruling coalition and opposition parties have offered different reactions to U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden's visit to Belgrade. Opposition Serb Radical Party (SRS) MPs showed up in parliament today wearing t-shirts with printed image of their leader Vojislav Seselj, and leaflets, put up in several places inside the building, which read, "Biden, you Nazi scum, go home", and, "Biden, you fascist scum, go home". Anger, disappointment, satisfaction with U.S. VP visit SRS whip Dragan Todorovic told Tanjug news agency that this was the Radicals' way of protesting against the visit. "He [Biden] personifies all the crimes committed against Serbia starting with the 1999 bombing to the snatching of Kosovo and Metohija and new crimes that will be committed against Serbia, such as taking Vojvodina and partitioning Serbia into seven regions," Todorovic said. His former fellow Radical, now leader of opposition Serb Progressive Party (SNS) Tomislav Nikolic, said Biden's "desire" for Serbia to join the EU "should not be taken too seriously", since America "has done nothing about that issue". Nikolic told reporters that the U.S. vice president should be taken for a walk in Belgrade and shown all the places destroyed during NATO's attacks. "He should be asked why this was done," said the leader of the SNS. He added that the state officials should have taken a firm position on the "EU path with Kosovo in Serbia's fold". "It would be good if this were done, but judging by the statements I do not see that it has been done," Nikolic concluded. His fellow opposition party leader, Cedomir Jovanovic, also voiced criticism of Serbia's authorities in view of the visit today. But the Liberal-Democrats (LDP) president believes that the manner in which they entered the meeting with Biden means that "his arrival, which was a great chance for Serbia", has been "missed". Jovanovic further said that continuity with the policy of the 1990s "has persisted". "The president of the Republic has, by insisting on continuity with the policy from the 1990s, shown himself to be unprepared and inept, which will cost the Serb society dearly," stated the LDP leader. He went on to say that Serbia is "obligated to come forward with a new policy that would be acceptable to the region, to Sarajevo and Pristina above all". According to Jovanovic, this new policy would by that virtue also be acceptable to the world. He believes that the position on Kosovo is "filled with phrases and is an expression of a policy that does not meet with understanding in the world". "The stances on Bosnia are declarative and do not differ from those held by Milosevic. The government has shown it is not ready to create a Serbia of the 21st century," concluded Jovanovic. The ruling coalition, on the other hand, sees the results of the visit from a different angle. Democratic Party (DS) official and ruling "For a European Serbia" coalition whip Nada Kolundzija told reporters in Belgrade this Wednesday that Biden's messages that America is ready to support Serbia's EU path, and that Washington is aware Belgrade will never recognize Kosovo's independence, are "very important". "We expect Biden's visit to open a new page in relations between Serbia and the U.S. which will enable Serbia to have America's support in achieving strategically important goals." Kolundzija stressed that those issues where Belgrade and Washington hold opposing views "should not represent an obstacle to the development and improvement of the cooperation between the two countries". According to her, the visit "proves that America considers the region's stability to be important", and that Serbia is a country which has a "significant role" in that process. Ruling Socialists (SPS) share the similar views. Whip Branko Ruzic said that it was important that Biden expressed his understanding for Serbia's position not to recognize Kosovo's independence. Another important statement from the U.S. vice president, according to Ruzic, was that Washington supports Serbia's EU integration. He continued to say that he expects "this new stage in relations between Serbia and the U.S." to contribute to matters related to preserving Serbia's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and those concerning Kosovo, "moving from the impasse". "It is very important that after three and a half decades a new possible cooperation opens up, which is of mutual interest, and here I mean economic cooperation and investments, above all," said Ruzic. Radical MPs in parliament today (FoNet)

Anger, disappointment, satisfaction with U.S. VP visit

SRS whip Dragan Todorović told Tanjug news agency that this was the Radicals' way of protesting against the visit.

"He [Biden] personifies all the crimes committed against Serbia starting with the 1999 bombing to the snatching of Kosovo and Metohija and new crimes that will be committed against Serbia, such as taking Vojvodina and partitioning Serbia into seven regions," Todorović said.

His former fellow Radical, now leader of opposition Serb Progressive Party (SNS) Tomislav Nikolić, said Biden's "desire" for Serbia to join the EU "should not be taken too seriously", since America "has done nothing about that issue".

Nikolić told reporters that the U.S. vice president should be taken for a walk in Belgrade and shown all the places destroyed during NATO's attacks. "He should be asked why this was done," said the leader of the SNS.

He added that the state officials should have taken a firm position on the "EU path with Kosovo in Serbia's fold".

"It would be good if this were done, but judging by the statements I do not see that it has been done," Nikolić concluded.

His fellow opposition party leader, Čedomir Jovanović, also voiced criticism of Serbia's authorities in view of the visit today. But the Liberal-Democrats (LDP) president believes that the manner in which they entered the meeting with Biden means that "his arrival, which was a great chance for Serbia", has been "missed".

Jovanović further said that continuity with the policy of the 1990s "has persisted".

"The president of the Republic has, by insisting on continuity with the policy from the 1990s, shown himself to be unprepared and inept, which will cost the Serb society dearly," stated the LDP leader.

He went on to say that Serbia is "obligated to come forward with a new policy that would be acceptable to the region, to Sarajevo and Priština above all". According to Jovanović, this new policy would by that virtue also be acceptable to the world.

He believes that the position on Kosovo is "filled with phrases and is an expression of a policy that does not meet with understanding in the world".

"The stances on Bosnia are declarative and do not differ from those held by Milošević. The government has shown it is not ready to create a Serbia of the 21st century," concluded Jovanović.

The ruling coalition, on the other hand, sees the results of the visit from a different angle. Democratic Party (DS) official and ruling "For a European Serbia" coalition whip Nada Kolundžija told reporters in Belgrade this Wednesday that Biden's messages that America is ready to support Serbia's EU path, and that Washington is aware Belgrade will never recognize Kosovo's independence, are "very important".

"We expect Biden's visit to open a new page in relations between Serbia and the U.S. which will enable Serbia to have America's support in achieving strategically important goals."

Kolundžija stressed that those issues where Belgrade and Washington hold opposing views "should not represent an obstacle to the development and improvement of the cooperation between the two countries".

According to her, the visit "proves that America considers the region's stability to be important", and that Serbia is a country which has a "significant role" in that process.

Ruling Socialists (SPS) share the similar views. Whip Branko Ružić said that it was important that Biden expressed his understanding for Serbia's position not to recognize Kosovo's independence.

Another important statement from the U.S. vice president, according to Ružić, was that Washington supports Serbia's EU integration.

He continued to say that he expects "this new stage in relations between Serbia and the U.S." to contribute to matters related to preserving Serbia's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and those concerning Kosovo, "moving from the impasse".

"It is very important that after three and a half decades a new possible cooperation opens up, which is of mutual interest, and here I mean economic cooperation and investments, above all," said Ružić.