Biden gets mixed reception in Belgrade
Published: 20 May, 2009, 19:22
Serbian nationalist holds a banner during a rally in Belgrade on May 19, 2009 (AFP Photo / Andrej Isakovic)
TAGS: Breakaway regions, Meeting, NATO, Scandal, Kosovo, Protest, Politics
US Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Serbia on Wednesday to try to improve relations with this Balkan country. Unlike the Serbian President, some MPs preferred to “greet” him in a different manner.
Unlike the Serbian President, who rolled out the red carpet for Biden, some parliamentarians preferred to “greet” him in a different manner.
Joe Biden’s trip to Serbia is a part of a three-day tour of the Balkans meant to demonstrate the renewed interest of the United States in the region, AP reports. He said his trip to the Serbian capital Belgrade, where he arrived from Bosnia, is aimed at establishing “healthy” relations between the Obama administration and Serbia’s authorities.
However, the country’s nationalist parties have opposed Biden's visit, saying it amounts to a "humiliation" of the country.
According to AFP, members of Serbia’s nationalist Radical Party, which holds approximately 20 percent of the seats in the Parliament, met Joe Biden in Belgrade with banners saying “Biden, you Nazi scum go home!” and “Biden, you Fascist scum go home!” The MPs were holding them during the live transmission from the meeting.
Apart from that, all nationalist members of the parliament were wearing t-shirts depicting a portrait of the head of their party, Vojislav Seselj, who was incriminated by the Hague Tribunal for war crimes.
Members of the party accuse Biden of being the chief advocate of the 1999 bombing of Kosovo, the predominantly ethnic Albanian-populated region considered by Serbs the medieval cradle of their statehood and religion, the AP reports.
Serbian officials, backed by Russia in the UN Security Council, have repeatedly said they would never recognize Kosovo's statehood, and that they would try to retain the province by peaceful, diplomatic means.
The US Vice President, however, is known to be a staunch supporter of Kosovo’s independence. From 1997, he has been actively participating in the Senate’s foreign policy, and was one of the architechts of the NATO bombings of Serbian territory in 1999.
Kosovo is going to be Biden's last stop on his Balkan tour on Thursday.
20.05.2009, 18:03
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The ppl in Serbia have become indifferent from all the horrors that has happend to us in last 50 years, from the rise of communism and Tito to the ocupation of Kosovo. People got no more energy to do anything. Mass media is complitly controled by west, gowerment is pro western, and it got there by scaring people that 90 would return to the horrors of the 90' when we where against whole western world, alone. With the country divided and with the pressure to divide it more (separatists backed by west are now set on taking Vojvodina) and a "Non goverment organisations" behing every corner spilling poison all over the population with no one to stop them, no good is going to happen. We even got a political party in Serbian parlament, LDP, that is openly supporting albanian in Kosovo, and is for giving them 15% of Serbia, that how much power the west and Nato have is Serbia. If the Russia does not take more active roll in Serbia, they will lose support in our country permanently.
I played the Russian hymn at max stereo power during the Belgrade news yesterday informing about Jozef (Goebels) Bayden visiting the crime scene with our weak president Tadic. I did feel good for a short time while doing that, but the sad fact remains. We were let down by Russia. Nato, enemy of Russia bombed us into submision, and Russians didnt move a finger. Why big brother? Are we brothers at all? What can we expect from you in the future if this was all you did: nothing. Not one s-300 system at our disposal, while under attack by whole western aliance. I will never vote for entering Nato and European union, nore will I forget about Russian betrayal at the darkest hour. That will remain in history, the way you behaved towards your only ally in Nato Europe.
I am a serb and I dont trust USA at all, they have bombed us and been towards us alomst the whole our history. I dont see a reason why to come closer with USA its definitely no use. Serbia doesnt need USA, even if our country is on the edge of dying out, we dont need their help. Russia at the other hand, has always been in my heart and probably will always be. Even though they havent helped us in all possible situationes (wich is almost impossible, and I understand that), they have at least always supported us. What good has USA gave us ? As one serb said some days ago, "I will rather eat Russian s**t, than American pie"