Garčević Discusses Impacts of U.S. Election on the Balkans
Ambassador Vesko Garčević, Professor of the Practice of International Relations at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, discussed the impacts of the United States presidential elections on the Balkans in a Jutarnji program Dobro Jutro Crna Goro interview on November 18, 2020, as well as in a Vijesti article – “Biden’s Victory Is a Blow For Nationalists In the Region” – published on November 25, 2020.
In both interviews, Garčević mentioned that, these days, many in the Balkans expect to see a U.S. comeback and robust involvement in local affairs. A cursory glance at the initial reactions in the region confirms this.
Garčević went on to say that we can expect a more coordinated and coherent approach by the U.S. and the European Union to the Balkans. He explained that Washington may serve as a desirable corrective factor to some of the EU’s policies, such as those on Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue. He argued that Brussels and Washington need not always act together, but there are likely to be fewer moments of competition and more examples of them operating in synergy. The results won’t always be what the region can expect, but it will be better than what we have been through over the last few years.
The full video interview can be viewed below. The full written interview can be read on Vijesti‘s website.
During his diplomatic career, Ambassador Vesko Garčević dealt with issues pertinent to European security and NATO for almost 14 years. In 2004, he was posted in Vienna to serve as Ambassador to Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. He had been a Montenegro’s Ambassador to NATO from 2010 until 2014 and served as a Montenegro’s National Coordinator for NATO from 2015 until he joined the faculty at the Pardee School. Learn more about him here.