Azemi: US-Serbia Dialogue Aims to Limit China’s Economic and Technological Influence

The first round of the Strategic Dialogue between the United States of America and Serbia is expected to take place today.

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Gjuriq announced the development, describing it as a historic moment.

“What will happen on Friday is truly a historic diplomatic and, I would say, political moment in relations between Serbia and the United States,” Gjuriq told Radio Television of Serbia on July 14.

According to him, the decision is expected to “strengthen” Serbia’s international standing and its economic situation.

Gjuriq also assessed that, through this process, Serbia is entering “the circle of countries with which the United States has the highest level of institutional cooperation.”

The US State Department has said that the US-Serbia Strategic Dialogue “represents a new era in relations between the two countries.”

According to the State Department, the dialogue “is an indicator of both countries’ commitment to expanding and deepening our partnership.”

“Through this dialogue, the United States and Serbia will work to achieve shared objectives, including regional peace and stability, expanding ties in business and education, and building a more prosperous future,” the State Department said in a response sent to Radio Free Europe.

The response also noted that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on August 6 last year that the United States would launch this dialogue with Serbia.

Publicist Emin Azemi considers this process a pragmatic and technocratic shift in Washington’s official approach toward the Western Balkans.

According to Azemi, President Trump’s administration, through Secretary Rubio, is primarily seeking to halt China’s technological and economic expansion in Serbia.

“The official launch of the Strategic Dialogue between the United States and Serbia on July 17, 2026, marks an important institutional turning point in the region, described by the US State Department as a ‘new era’ in bilateral relations.

This step represents a pragmatic and technocratic shift in Washington’s official approach toward the Western Balkans, moving away from the former policy of ‘state-building and reconstruction’ toward the creation of sustainable partnerships based on measurable economic and security interests.

The main strategy of President Donald Trump’s administration, through Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is to curb China’s technological and economic expansion in Serbia, which serves as a bridge for Chinese investments toward the EU, as well as to reduce Belgrade’s energy dependence on Russia,” Azemi told Bota Sot.

He highlights four strategic pillars on which, according to him, this dialogue is based and which demonstrate that it is not merely a declarative initiative.

“The dialogue is not merely declarative; it is based on four strategic pillars: energy and infrastructure, such as the Djerdap 3 hydropower project; artificial intelligence and advanced technology; defense cooperation; and liquefied natural gas projects. Serbia has even signed agreements with NASA for the Artemis space program.

This institutionalisation shows that the United States is treating Serbia as a key partner for regional stability, offering it Western alternatives to Eastern influence,” the publicist said.

Azemi says the new partnership gives Belgrade greater room for manoeuvre.

According to him, Serbian representatives have not concealed their intention to use their new position to strengthen their arguments concerning Kosovo.

“This new partnership creates a significant diplomatic challenge for Kosovo, as it expands Belgrade’s room for manoeuvre in Washington. While Belgrade formalises this high-level framework of cooperation, Kosovo’s planned Strategic Dialogue with the United States was suspended some time ago by Washington due to dissatisfaction with unilateral actions by the Kosovar government that increased tensions in the north. This asymmetry may translate into less direct US pressure on Serbia and greater pressure on Pristina in negotiation processes.

Serbian officials, such as Minister Marko Gjuriq, have not concealed the fact that they will use this new position to strengthen their arguments regarding the Kosovo issue in US institutions,” Azemi stressed.

In conclusion, he assesses that there is a possibility Kosovo could be sidelined in major regional economic and infrastructure projects, but adds that the partnership does not imply acceptance of Serbia’s territorial claims toward Kosovo.

“There is a real risk that Kosovo could be bypassed in major regional economic and infrastructure projects, but not in terms of geopolitical security. In this context, the regional peace sought by the State Department implies a region in which Serbia is not aligned with Russia, but this partnership does not mean acceptance of Serbia’s territorial claims toward Kosovo. Nevertheless, this requires Kosovo to urgently review its strategy for coordination with its main ally, the United States, so as not to fall behind regional developments,” the publicist concluded.

The United States has said it expects the conditions to be created for launching a Strategic Dialogue with Kosovo, stressing that these include Pristina fulfilling its commitments toward the Serbian minority.

In a response to Radio Free Europe, a spokesperson for the US State Department recalled that the Strategic Dialogue had been suspended in September 2025 “for an indefinite period” due to concerns over the actions of Kosovo’s caretaker government.

“We remain committed to advancing the shared interests of the United States and the people of Kosovo. We look forward to developing a Strategic Dialogue with Kosovo when the appropriate conditions are in place, including Kosovo’s fulfillment of its commitments regarding Kosovo Serbs,” the response said.

The State Department did not provide a timeline for the possible launch of the Strategic Dialogue, nor did it detail the other steps it expects from Kosovo’s institutions.