Little Change Predicted in US Balkan Policy

Serbia cannot hope for any shift in Washington's stance over Kosovo, Zivorad Kovacevic, a former Serbian ambassador to the US estimated.

He holds that the main message of the campaign of new US President Barack Obama  - "Change" - will not be applied to such a great extent in case of the relations between Belgrade and Washington.

"The US administration will be less arrogant and more willing to listen to what the world has to say, but Obama's policy on the Western Balkans will be the same as that of (John) McCain and the previous administration ", Kovacevic said.

Regarding Kosovo, "the story is over for Obama," said Kovacevic. "The new administration believes there is no need to open new talks, neither international nor between Serbia and Kosovo. Obama has called for dialogue only in Kosovo between Serbian communities and the authorities in Pristina, and asked the Serbian government to show understanding for the new reality. Kosovo and Serbia are not among the new administration's 20 priorities."

Kovacevic added that Obama supported Serbia's path towards the European Union, but would also insist on the arrest of Mladic.

Above all, he said, the US expected Belgrade to not start trouble.

"Washington will not mind Serbia sticking to its position about not recognising Kosovo's independence, but it will expect it to contact Kosovo's government specifically on matters regarding the Serbian community and cultural and religious artefacts," he added.
 
US Ambassador to Serbia Cameron Munter confirmed that US support for independent Kosovo will not change with the arrival of the new administration.

"We have to accept the fact that we disagree over one issue and at the same time, we have to continue boosting our constructive partnership which will be to the benefit of Serbia", Munter evaluated.