First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic said that Serbia’s decision to accept the transfer of two detainees from Guantanamo Bay prison was a very important signal for the development of bilateral relations with the United States.
“In this way, Serbia has joined a group of 17 countries of Europe which did so, including Great Britain, France, Albania, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Georgia, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Ireland, Portugal, Hungary, Bulgaria, Latvia and Estonia.
By doing this, Serbia has, by no means, endangered either its state interests or its national security, and it further paved the way for the development of our partner relations with the United States. Resetting our relations with the Unites States is in our national interests, seeking common denominators for the future, amid the differences that exist between us.
That is why the attacks of the opposition parties on the Government of Serbia over this action, are part and parcel of everyday political folklore, forgetting that the Government of the Democratic Party of Serbia authorized Boris Tadic to sign a unilateral agreement with Condoleezza Rice on the immunities of the US armed services, which are non-applicable to the Serbian Armed Forces.
This transfer will cause no damage to Serbia, it can only secure a better position for it in foreign affairs.”