U.S. official to meet with DS leader Tadić

U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Reeker will continue talks with Serbian officials on Wednesday. The U.S. official, who will stay in Belgrade until July 5, talked to Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), United Regions of Serbia (URS) and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) representatives on Tuesday. U.S. official to meet with DS leader Tadic Reeker also had a short meeting with Serbia’s President Tomislav Nikolic, who said after the meeting that he told the U.S. official that Serbia would cooperate with the U.S. and that he was informed that the U.S. Department of State was ready to cooperate with any government backed by the Serbian parliament. When asked whether Reeker has some “hidden conditions” regarding the SNS-Democratic Party (DS) coalition, Nikolic said: “Maybe with someone else. Nobody can present hidden conditions to a president”. Reeker met with SPS leader and PM-designate Ivica Dacic on Tuesday evening and according to unofficial information he wanted the PM-designate to explain certain statements on Kosovo. Dacic pointed out that the U.S. was not interfering in government formation but qualified as perfectly understandable its interest in goals and the program on which the next Serbian government would rest. After Tuesday's meeting with Patriarch Irinej, at which he asked for a blessing to form to future government, he commented on his meeting with the U.S. official and said that he acknowledges the U.S. position that the government issue was the internal affair of Serbia and its citizens who voted in the elections. “The U.S. expects to be acquainted with the future government's policy,“ said Dacic, and added that he personally understood their concern that the new government's policy changes may lead to regional instability. "I told Reeker that my and the joint position of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), the SPS-PUPS-JS coalition and the United Regions of Serbia is that we support the EU integration and will continue with the EU path and talks on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija and also respect agreements reached in the dialogue (with Pristina)," the PM-designate noted. He also said he had told the U.S. official that the new government would continue to improve the policy of peace and security, keep fighting against crime and corruption, and build a system of economic stability. "The new government is a chance for, I would say, even more rapid European integration," said Dacic, who stressed that the strategic partnership with the U.S. was very important for Serbia. According to some announcements, Reeker will meet with DS leader Boris Tadic on Wednesday and he is also expected to organize a dinner that will be attended by Serbian political leaders. Tanjug has learned that Washington is mostly concerned about the bad economic situation in the country which could make the SPS and the SNS, in case they become the most dominant factors of the future government, turn to populism and nationalism in order to draw the attention from the poor economic results to great national issues, primarily Kosovo. Given that Kosovo is a very important project for the U.S. that should be finalized during the term of the new Serbian government, spreading nationalist and populist topics would pose an ultimate threat to this goal. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon will pay a two-day visit to Belgrade on July 8 and 9. Reeker previously visited Belgrade in late January, while Gordon was last in Serbia in June 2011. Philip Reeker (Tanjug) Tanjug

U.S. official to meet with DS leader Tadić

Reeker also had a short meeting with Serbia’s President Tomislav Nikolić, who said after the meeting that he told the U.S. official that Serbia would cooperate with the U.S. and that he was informed that the U.S. Department of State was ready to cooperate with any government backed by the Serbian parliament.

When asked whether Reeker has some “hidden conditions” regarding the SNS-Democratic Party (DS) coalition, Nikolić said: “Maybe with someone else. Nobody can present hidden conditions to a president”.

Reeker met with SPS leader and PM-designate Ivica Dačić on Tuesday evening and according to unofficial information he wanted the PM-designate to explain certain statements on Kosovo.

Dačić pointed out that the U.S. was not interfering in government formation but qualified as perfectly understandable its interest in goals and the program on which the next Serbian government would rest.

After Tuesday's meeting with Patriarch Irinej, at which he asked for a blessing to form to future government, he commented on his meeting with the U.S. official and said that he acknowledges the U.S. position that the government issue was the internal affair of Serbia and its citizens who voted in the elections.

“The U.S. expects to be acquainted with the future government's policy,“ said Dačić, and added that he personally understood their concern that the new government's policy changes may lead to regional instability.

"I told Reeker that my and the joint position of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), the SPS-PUPS-JS coalition and the United Regions of Serbia is that we support the EU integration and will continue with the EU path and talks on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija and also respect agreements reached in the dialogue (with Priština)," the PM-designate noted.

He also said he had told the U.S. official that the new government would continue to improve the policy of peace and security, keep fighting against crime and corruption, and build a system of economic stability.

"The new government is a chance for, I would say, even more rapid European integration," said Dačić, who stressed that the strategic partnership with the U.S. was very important for Serbia.

According to some announcements, Reeker will meet with DS leader Boris Tadić on Wednesday and he is also expected to organize a dinner that will be attended by Serbian political leaders.

Tanjug has learned that Washington is mostly concerned about the bad economic situation in the country which could make the SPS and the SNS, in case they become the most dominant factors of the future government, turn to populism and nationalism in order to draw the attention from the poor economic results to great national issues, primarily Kosovo.

Given that Kosovo is a very important project for the U.S. that should be finalized during the term of the new Serbian government, spreading nationalist and populist topics would pose an ultimate threat to this goal.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon will pay a two-day visit to Belgrade on July 8 and 9.

Reeker previously visited Belgrade in late January, while Gordon was last in Serbia in June 2011.