US paper: Serbia’s Marko Djuric urges ‘just solution’ to bitter Kosovo dispute

Marko Đurić
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In an interview with the Washington Diplomat Magazine, Marko Djuric, current Serbia's ambassador to the US, said that one of his priorities was to deepen Serbia's ties with the United States and "increase the level of trust" between Washington and Belgrade.

He added that „during the 140 years of diplomatic relations between Serbia and the United States, we’ve been allies in both world wars.“

„We would love to see a US president visit Serbia,“ he said.

Speaking to the Washington Diplomat magazine, Djuric, former head of Serbia’s Government Office for Kosovo, „dismissed suggestions that Kosovo will eventually prevail and win the backing of countries that have still withheld diplomatic recognition—a list that includes China, Cyprus, Greece, India, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain and Ukraine.

„For Serbs, Kosovo is the cradle of our identity. It is the place where our medieval kings and saints are buried. It is also a place where very resilient Serbian communities still survive as a minority. Serbs consider Kosovo part of our territory,“ he said.

„At the same time, Serbia is very much aware of the realities we face. We are open for discussion on a compromise to resolve the Kosovo issue and bring lasting peace and stability to the region,“ he said.