Dacic: Discussions at US State Department successful

WASHINGTON - Serbian FM Ivica Dacic said his discussions in Washington ahead of Thursday's National Prayer Breakfast had been successful for Serbia and that the US State Department had once again confirmed Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's actions were correct.

Dacic said Serbia was protecting its state and national interests without jeopardising its own future.

"The US sincerely supports the stance that a Community of Serb Municipalities is something that was previously agreed, rather than a topic of discussions, and that it must be formed to enable further dialogue and then start implementing an agreement," Dacic told Tanjug in Washington.

He noted that he had had a series of very important meetings at the State Department.

He said Derek Chollet, counsellor to US State Secretary Antony Blinken, and US special Western Balkans envoy Gabriel Escobar had made it clear they supported Serbia's principled position.

Blinken has also confirmed this in a conversation with Vucic, Dacic added.

It is important that Serbia's red lines were outlined clearly and that it was said we cannot let the Brussels Agreement, signed ten years ago, be annulled, Dacic said.

He said the US State Department officials had told him the US would act in a transparent manner and inform Serbia of everything.

They said they are serious about their warnings to Albin Kurti that there can be no discussion about the Community of Serb Municipalities, Dacic said.

"We are satisfied with that stance, we do not know how this will end, but Serbia will definitely be constructive," Dacic said, adding that the US supported continued US-Serbia strategic and bilateral relations.

Dacic said he had also spoken with US Senator Ron Johnson and Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, who co-chairs a Serbian caucus.

He said Tenney had proposed a visit to Serbia by a US Congress delegation led by her.