Pompeo for the Kosovo-Serbia agreement: There is much work to be done

Secretary Pompeii made these comments during a joint conference with Croatia's prime minister, Andrej Plenkovic.

He praised the agreement on economic normalisation between Kosovo and Serbia, which was reached last month at the White House.

The United States no longer leads by standing back. We have been very busy in this region on the diplomatic front. You mentioned the work we have done with Kosovo and Serbia. There's more work to be done there. It is a process, but we have taken a good first step, a good move before”, he said, stressing that the United States will continue to engage seriously even with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The UN will use their diplomatic opportunities to stay engaged and ensure a result there that brings a good thing to Europe -- a good thing for Croatia's citizens, a good thing for the citizens of the region”, said Secretary Pompeo.

While Washington was removing from the Balkans after the 1990s wars ended, Moscow and Beijing rushed to fill the gap.

China made it through its multibillion-dollar economic programme, while Russia through political pressure, mainly through Serbia, its traditional Slav ally.

US Secretary Pompeii's visit to Dubrovnik, the Adriatic Sea-bound town, was the last step of his European tour, which also included Greece, Italy and the Vatican.

Secretary Pompeo said he will continue his scheduled visit to Japan, South Korea and Mongolia next week, despite the announcement that President Donald Trump has been affected by the Coronavirus.

He said he was again tested and proved negative for COVID-19, while visiting Asia is evidence of a strong American commitment to allies and friends in the region.