"U.S. Kosovo policy to continue regardless"

A top analyst says Washington will continue to encourage Serbian EU entry, but will insist on Kosovo independence.

Izvor: VOA

Tuesday, 09.09.2008.

12:40

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A top analyst says Washington will continue to encourage Serbian EU entry, but will insist on Kosovo independence. John Sitilides from the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington said that there would not be many big differences between future Republican candidate John McCain or Democrat contender Barack Obama administrations when it came to the issues of Serbia and Kosovo. "U.S. Kosovo policy to continue regardless" “I’m afraid that the whole matter will remain in the hands of the foreign policy establishment in Washington,” he said. However, the analyst said that Obama “might have a bit more understanding for the Serbian position, particularly because of the influence and size of the American Serb population in Chicago and Illinois.” Obama has built his political career in that state. “I think that Washington will try and get Serbia to become part of the EU, but will preserve Kosovo’s independence and through that regional stability, and it will work on eliminating the influence of the mafia, reforming corrupt institutions in Kosovo, and removing the influence of Wahhabism to pre-empt any threat to NATO or Europe,” said Sitilides. According to the analyst, McCain views Europe predominantly through the NATO prism and the importance of the U.S.’s security relations with its Western allies. “He’ll work on broadening joint interests in the political, military and economic spheres and advocate NATO consolidation and expansion, including, most probably, calls to Ukraine and Georgia to join NATO, in spite of Russian opposition,” he predicted. “Were Obama to become president, particularly in light of [Obama’s running mate Joe] Baiden’s unwillingness to ‘offend’ other countries like Russia, the Democrats would probably be prepared to freeze Georgia and Ukraine’s membership and to calm the situation over Russian-U.S. relations,” surmised Sitilides.

"U.S. Kosovo policy to continue regardless"

“I’m afraid that the whole matter will remain in the hands of the foreign policy establishment in Washington,” he said.

However, the analyst said that Obama “might have a bit more understanding for the Serbian position, particularly because of the influence and size of the American Serb population in Chicago and Illinois.”

Obama has built his political career in that state.

“I think that Washington will try and get Serbia to become part of the EU, but will preserve Kosovo’s independence and through that regional stability, and it will work on eliminating the influence of the mafia, reforming corrupt institutions in Kosovo, and removing the influence of Wahhabism to pre-empt any threat to NATO or Europe,” said Sitilides.

According to the analyst, McCain views Europe predominantly through the NATO prism and the importance of the U.S.’s security relations with its Western allies.

“He’ll work on broadening joint interests in the political, military and economic spheres and advocate NATO consolidation and expansion, including, most probably, calls to Ukraine and Georgia to join NATO, in spite of Russian opposition,” he predicted.

“Were Obama to become president, particularly in light of [Obama’s running mate Joe] Baiden’s unwillingness to ‘offend’ other countries like Russia, the Democrats would probably be prepared to freeze Georgia and Ukraine’s membership and to calm the situation over Russian-U.S. relations,” surmised Sitilides.

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