The fact that Congress is involved in the efforts of the US executive authorities to find a solution in the Western Balkans poses a higher level and a new quality in relations. And they are raising that bar solely for the purpose of protecting their interests, as they are far less concerned over Pristina and Belgrade, Nebojsa Vujovic, the former head of the Serbian mission in Washington and a participant in the Dayton negotiations, said in a statement for KoSSev, commenting on the recent hearing on the Western Balkans in the US Congress.
At this hearing of the US Congress Foreign Affairs Subcommittee for Europe, the only person testifying was US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar.
Congressmen asked him a series of questions, most of which concerned the situation in Kosovo.
The former head of the Serbian mission in Washington believes that this is a big deal.
„The big news is that the relationship between the US and Serbia and Kosovo, that is, the Western Balkans in general, has been raised from the relationship between the State Department and the leaders in Pristina and Belgrade to a higher level,“ he stated.
He alleged that initially a serious media campaign was led to draw attention to developments in the situation in Kosovo, Serbia and the region, and that the other participants in political life and decision-making in the US tried to find their place and get involved in a direct channel of communication between the US executive power and players on the field in the Western Balkans.
Finally, he added, „the largest and most important US legislative committee“ joined this long journey.
He explained that the US Committee on Foreign Affairs has a strong subcommittee on foreign affairs for Europe led by Thomas Kean as a Republican and, as chairman, the most influential Democrat William Keating.
„By directly entering this game, they made it so that the entire America is now expecting and wants to exert its influence on the development of the situation in the Western Balkans.“
He drew a parallel with the events in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1994-1995, when there was also, as Vujovic described it, a revolution in the US Congress. Republicans opposed the Clinton administration by overwhelming majorities in both houses of representatives.
„At that time, they exerted strong pressure on the administration to start resolutely solving the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. There was a very harsh action and bombing of Bosnian positions in Republika Srpska, i.e. around Sarajevo,“ he recalled.
According to him, a similar development of the situation regarding Kosovo is also now taking place, because Congress is getting involved in the efforts of the US authorities to find a solution in the Western Balkans.
„It represents a new quality in that relationship,“ Vujovic assessed.
He believes that the Americans are doing all this solely for the purpose of protecting their interests, not because they care about Serbia or Kosovo.
„Obviously raising the tone and with the joining of the US Congress, the Senate and the Subcommittee on Europe to this game means that the US is raising the scale of its involvement in order to protect its own interests in the region.“
When asked about Serbia’s position to what was said at the Congress this Tuesday, Vujovic says that it is „quite unsteady“, which is the result of dealing with one man for many years (cf. the Serbian president).
Vujovic added that it was he who led „himself and all of us into a trap“ through his actions.
„With every move he made, he was like a bull in a china shop. One man with such collaborators, now Petkovic and earlier Djuric, could not have made a more pragmatic approach in Washington in relation to his situation. On the contrary, with everything he was doing was leading both himself and us into a trap,“ he points out.
Vujovic also questioned the significance of the withdrawal of Serbs from Kosovo’s institutions, the police, and the judiciary, considering the fact that now, through the agreement on de-escalation, they are asked to participate in the elections and thus return to the institutions.
„What have all these things happened until now? They used the withdrawal of the Serbs to enter the empty space, and they also imposed mayors.“
Addressing the fact that Escobar confirmed that Serbia undertook to remove the participants of the protest and that they (Kosovo Serbs) will participate in the elections, or else Belgrade is set to face consequences, Vujovic says that sanctions against Serbia have already started with the US sanctioning the head of the BIA, Aleksandar Vulin.
„Sanctions against Serbia are already in effect. Sanctions against Vulin are the beginning, and there will be other measures. This is a serious pressure,“ he stressed.
On the other hand, he underscored that it is necessary to deal with who contributed and led to this situation.
„Who said one thing, promised another, signed Brussels, nodded his head in Ohrid, and now comes to a situation where he says, ‘I made a little mistake, let’s buy some time now.’ I don’t think so. Now it’s the time for a good drubbing.“
He noted that it is too late for advice, as advice is not given at the last possible moment.
The only thing left for Serbia is to control the damage, which „is surely not minor“, he added.
On the other hand, Vujovic said that the diplomats are not pleased with the Kosovo Prime Minister either, because of his ideological reasons, with which he complicated a lot of things.
He compared the two leaders:
„On the one hand, we have Vucic – who tried to stay in power by buying time, and now on the other, Kurti – who wants to go down in history as a man who made a breakthrough and a state that will unite with Albania tomorrow.“
He underlined, however, that the US can never be expected to be strict towards Kosovo, because they created it – something that Vucic has yet to realize.
„The US will never raise a hand against a child it has adopted. They will give him as many cookies or chocolate milk, but they won’t hit him with a belt. They have to tolerate it because they made it. Vucic does not understand that,“ Vujovic pointed out.
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