US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill said he does not think that de jure recognition of Kosovo’s independence will be a requirement for Serbia’s admission to the European Union (EU), but that the Union is asking for exactly what it says it is asking for - and that is normalization.

Hill told the weekly NIN that EU representatives want peace and security in the region, and between Kosovo and Serbia.

It has been made very clear that there are EU members that do not recognize Kosovo, so the real question is to try to achieve normalization where the borders will not be dividing lines, but lines that unite, said Hill, adding that he would like to see more progress on the normalization front.

Asked if he thinks the EU’s admission of the entire region would reduce tensions in the Western Balkans and Russia’s and China’s influence, and whether this is possible without the US, Hill stressed that the EU makes decisions on its own, and when a country wants to joint the EU, the US supports it, as is the case with Serbia.

Regarding sanctions on Russia, the ambassador said the US wants for Serbia to join the sanctions, but noted that Serbia has already taken some important steps to communicate its disagreement with Russia’s aggression on Ukraine.

Commenting on the All-Serb Assembly held last weekend in Belgrade, Hill said it was a big and special event, but that everyone needs to understand that the Dayton Peace Agreement is the foundation of Bosnia’s territorial integrity, the territorial integrity of entities within Bosnia, and that all parties must respect these elements of the agreement.

Responding to remarks that he is lenient towards Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Hill said he believes every foreign diplomat goes to a country to cooperate with its representatives and that he will continue to cooperate with Vucic as long as he is Serbian president.