Đurić: Open Balkans found understanding in influential circles in the United States

"The 'Open Balkans' initiative, one of the cornerstones of which was laid by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, and in which other regional leaders also participated, is a Balkan, domestic, healthy initiative, but also an initiative that has found understanding in very influential political circles in the United States. That is one of the fields where Serbian and American interests coincide, to my joy as the ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the United States", said Đurić on TV Happy.

As for some European countries, Đurić says that there are those who are more in favor of this initiative, but that there are also those who are a little more cautious and not enthusiastic about the idea of ​​"Balkans to the peoples of the Balkans", which is a maxim that is "very dear to us and close to our hearts".

Asked about the announced changes in the State Department and the change of the American mediator for the talks between Belgrade and Pristina, Đurić stated that this fall will bring numerous changes in the State Department.

"A large part of the people who will come to duty are people we know. Let them announce the dates when each of them will take their duty", said Đurić.

He announced that he would continue to promote the Serbian position in the United States in every possible way, and that the result that will be delivered by the late spring of next year will be three or four times bigger Serbian caucus, which he says has already been multiplied, open trade mission on the west coast of the USA, new building of the Serbian Embassy in Washington and the marking of 140 years of diplomatic relations between Serbia and the USA in a very good way with a series of events.

Đurić said that, by then, a fairly large Serbian diaspora in the United States should get a new digital platform for connecting that is currently being prepared.

Asked about the statements from Pristina that they will not respect the Brussels and Washington agreements, Đurić says that the statement of the former Prime Minister of the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government in Pristina, Isa Mustafa, that the formation of the Association of Serbian Municipalities should be avoided, speaks very well about Pristina's hypocrisy.

"This shows that among the Albanian parties, unlike the Serbian parties, a competition has been created as to who will take a firmer stance towards relations with Belgrade. It is a complete absurdity that Isa Mustafa, who signed the Brussels agreement, comes out and demonizes the agreement himself", Đurić emphasized.

He believes that the direct consequence of that will not only be the continuation of the non-implementation of that agreement, but also the further deepening of distrust in the dialogue process itself.

"How can you agree with someone if a consensus is reached, in which even the one who reached the agreement participates, that agreements are generally not applied. What can we agree on then", stated Đurić.

Two days ago, says Đurić, he read in the media that the Pristina courts initiated criminal proceedings against unidentified perpetrators who wrote graffiti "Kosovo is Serbia" in Gracanica, for allegedly inciting racial, national and religious hatred.

"An incredible political climate is being created there, in which attacks on Serbs absolutely go unpunished, in which parties compete about who will be tougher on Serbs, and on the other hand, institutions turn their edge constantly towards everything that is Serbian in that territory", Đurić said.

He pointed out that it was very important that the state leadership, including President Vučić, spoke out about the verdict against Ivan Todosijević, and stated that there were many serious talks with representatives of the international community regarding that case.

"I will not give all the details, but the Serbian side has put serious pressure using all the instruments at our disposal to show the international community and the part of the international community that is responsible, that such behavior is unacceptable. We will see, it will not go as they imagined", said Đurić.

Regarding the boycott of Serbian judges in Kosovo and Metohija due to the verdict against Todosijević, Đurić said that he learned from the media that the judges did not come to work yesterday as a sign of solidarity, support and protest due to the violation of the Brussels Agreement.

He emphasized that Todosijević was convicted of violating the Brussels Agreement, because he was tried by a panel composed of Albanians, and according to the Brussels Agreement, there had to be two Serbs and one Albanian in the panel.

He also pointed out that Serbian judges and prosecutors in Kosovo and Metohija showed that they have character and courage, on which he congratulated them.

"I do not want to say anything else that would complicate their position. Both they and all our people should know that Serbia is seriously working to support them and that they are not alone", said Đurić.