U.S., Serbia: Washington Offers Support for Balkan EU Integration

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visited Serbia on May 20 as part of a three-day trip to the Balkans. While in Belgrade, Biden said the United States does not expect Serbia to recognize Kosovo's independence, and that such recognition is not a requirement for positive relations between Washington and Belgrade. Biden is reassuring the Balkan governments that the United States supports their integration into the European Union, but EU membership is the only thing the West can offer the Balkans — and that offer comes with no guarantees.