Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Matthew Palmer commented on the situation in the Western Balkans as the region faces coronavirus pandemics. In an interview with VOA's Serbian Service's Helena Djordjevic, Mr. Palmer declined to comment on a letter addressed to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo by two U.S. lawmakers expressing concern over President Donald Trump's approach to Kosovo and Serbia. Mr. Palmer stressed that the United States is a major contributor not only directly to the individual countries of the Western Balkans but also to international organizations channeling their assistance to the region.
During the interview, Mr. Palmer emphasized the United States' assistance of billions of dollars to the Balkan region over the past 20 years.
"I think it's true for the whole region and even for most of the world: The most urgent needs are for testing capabilities, personal protective equipment, and the capacity of companies and emergency teams to have the opportunity to provide assistance to those in need. I think more broadly that the efforts and energy expended by the United States… throughout the Balkan region, in the building of the institutions in over 20 years. "The countries of the Western Balkans have the potential to respond strongly to the threat posed by the coronavirus because of the efforts that the United States and other countries have made to help develop these capacities."
Asked about Russian and Chinese aid, which these countries use as propaganda, Mr. Palmer said it was not a competition and that the United States was a major contributor to international organizations that in turn helped various countries in the region.
"This is not a competition," he said. If there are things Russia and China can do to help Serbia or other countries in the Western Balkans, I think that's fantastic. It is also very good that the European Union is contributing in significant assistance to the Western Balkans. I think it's great that the United States is responding to the challenge. We are responding in a bilateral way, providing assistance directly to individual countries in the Western Balkans. We are also increasing our efforts through international institutions and forums. The United States is the largest contributor to relevant international actors, to the United Nations, to the World Bank, to the International Monetary Fund, to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. "The United States is the biggest contributor to these institutions, and we are channeling assistance through them to the Western Balkans to help them meet their needs."
The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State also spoke about the situation in the Kosovo-Serbia relationship during this period of global pandemic.
"I think that in fact the cooperation between Serbia and Kosovo on the issue of coronavirus is quite touching. It is one of those few good, positive news that has come out of all this (situation). There is increased trade. There is cooperation in terms of medical care. Kosovo and Serbia, I think, have both signed the Green Lines initiative. In fact, I think that all countries in the Western Balkans are now participating in this initiative, which was created to facilitate and accelerate the flow of food and medicine during this crisis period. So it is encouraging to see that Serbia and Kosovo find common ground and work together to address this common challenge," said Mr. Palmer.
More specifically, for the assistance of Albania and Kosovo, Mr. Palmer reconfirmed the American commitment even in these difficult times.
"First of all, it is the financial aid that is going directly to the countries in question. These funds go to purchase test kits, personal protective equipment, reagents that are essential chemicals to perform testing, equipment and disinfection kits so that public facilities can be kept safe. We will continue to provide assistance to both countries in strengthening institutional capacity. It is very important that the government is capable and responsive to the needs of the citizens, and this requires institutional development. This is something that the United States has worked hard for over the years.
So supporting independent media and media freedom, for example, is part of the job of making sure the government is responsible and gives solutions. Supporting an independent judiciary ensures that citizens have access to institutions that are designed to limit, channel, and focus on government action. So we will continue to work with our partners in Kosovo, Albania and elsewhere in the region to respond directly to the medical threat from the virus and to enable institutional structures that enable governments to be effective and accountable as they face this challenge,” said Mr. Palmer.
During the interview, Mr. Palmer emphasized the United States' assistance of billions of dollars to the Balkan region over the past 20 years.
"I think it's true for the whole region and even for most of the world: The most urgent needs are for testing capabilities, personal protective equipment, and the capacity of companies and emergency teams to have the opportunity to provide assistance to those in need. I think more broadly that the efforts and energy expended by the United States… throughout the Balkan region, in the building of the institutions in over 20 years. "The countries of the Western Balkans have the potential to respond strongly to the threat posed by the coronavirus because of the efforts that the United States and other countries have made to help develop these capacities."
Asked about Russian and Chinese aid, which these countries use as propaganda, Mr. Palmer said it was not a competition and that the United States was a major contributor to international organizations that in turn helped various countries in the region.
"This is not a competition," he said. If there are things Russia and China can do to help Serbia or other countries in the Western Balkans, I think that's fantastic. It is also very good that the European Union is contributing in significant assistance to the Western Balkans. I think it's great that the United States is responding to the challenge. We are responding in a bilateral way, providing assistance directly to individual countries in the Western Balkans. We are also increasing our efforts through international institutions and forums. The United States is the largest contributor to relevant international actors, to the United Nations, to the World Bank, to the International Monetary Fund, to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. "The United States is the biggest contributor to these institutions, and we are channeling assistance through them to the Western Balkans to help them meet their needs."
The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State also spoke about the situation in the Kosovo-Serbia relationship during this period of global pandemic.
"I think that in fact the cooperation between Serbia and Kosovo on the issue of coronavirus is quite touching. It is one of those few good, positive news that has come out of all this (situation). There is increased trade. There is cooperation in terms of medical care. Kosovo and Serbia, I think, have both signed the Green Lines initiative. In fact, I think that all countries in the Western Balkans are now participating in this initiative, which was created to facilitate and accelerate the flow of food and medicine during this crisis period. So it is encouraging to see that Serbia and Kosovo find common ground and work together to address this common challenge," said Mr. Palmer.
More specifically, for the assistance of Albania and Kosovo, Mr. Palmer reconfirmed the American commitment even in these difficult times.
"First of all, it is the financial aid that is going directly to the countries in question. These funds go to purchase test kits, personal protective equipment, reagents that are essential chemicals to perform testing, equipment and disinfection kits so that public facilities can be kept safe. We will continue to provide assistance to both countries in strengthening institutional capacity. It is very important that the government is capable and responsive to the needs of the citizens, and this requires institutional development. This is something that the United States has worked hard for over the years.
So supporting independent media and media freedom, for example, is part of the job of making sure the government is responsible and gives solutions. Supporting an independent judiciary ensures that citizens have access to institutions that are designed to limit, channel, and focus on government action. So we will continue to work with our partners in Kosovo, Albania and elsewhere in the region to respond directly to the medical threat from the virus and to enable institutional structures that enable governments to be effective and accountable as they face this challenge,” said Mr. Palmer.