U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the United States wants to deepen its strategic cooperation with Serbia, while expressing hope that he will soon have an opportunity to visit Belgrade.
Rubio made the comments on Wednesday in New York while discussing Serbia’s role as a strategic partner of the United States and the Trump administration’s plans to further strengthen bilateral relations.
“I hope I will have the opportunity to visit [Serbia],” Rubio said.
He noted that the administration of President Donald Trump has already taken steps to intensify cooperation with Belgrade, while representatives of the U.S. Department of State and other American institutions have visited Serbia.
At the same time, Rubio acknowledged that Serbia is involved in several issues that could be “problematic and explosive” and that have attracted international attention.
“It is a strategic partnership that we want to deepen, and we intend to do so while addressing some of the potential issues that may arise,” Rubio said.
Rubio’s remarks come as Washington continues to pursue closer strategic engagement with Belgrade while dealing with sensitive issues involving Serbia and the wider Western Balkans.
In July, Rubio and Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić opened the first round of the U.S.-Serbia Strategic Dialogue in Washington, marking a new framework for bilateral discussions on political, economic and security cooperation.
The U.S. approach reflects an effort to expand relations with Serbia while addressing issues that Washington considers potentially destabilizing or sensitive for regional security.
