Drecun: Strategic geopolitical deal with US and West necessary

BELGRADE - The head of the Serbian parliamentary committee on Kosovo-Metohija Milovan Drecun said on Thursday Serbia was in a situation where it needed a strategic geopolitical deal with the US and the West.

"Without intensifying the cooperation with the US, the world's biggest power, we cannot count on a promising future," Drecun told Pink TV.

He said Serbia had a foundation for a strategic geopolitical deal with the West as it was in EU accession talks and had the highest form of cooperation with NATO and good cooperation with the US, and also because Germany was its main external trade partner.

"Those are the foundations we need to build upon. A partnership agreement with the US is the missing link. After a conversation with (US State Department counsellor Derek) Chollet, (Serbian) President (Aleksandar) Vucic said discussions about a strategic partnership with the US must be launched," Drecun said.

He added that Belgrade had agreed such partnerships with Russia and China but that the two countries were geographically distant from Serbia and that Serbia must position itself within the region.

Commenting on reports that the so-called Kosovo Security Force was having its snipers trained in Jordan, Drecun said this was a part of Pristina's efforts to strengthen its military forces.

He said the efforts also included the construction of bases and were aimed at occupying the north of Kosovo-Metohija at some point.