U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Brendan Hanrahan met with representatives of Serbia’s student movement and the Student List in Belgrade on Thursday. He congratulated them on their parliamentary election victory and discussed their next steps.
The U.S. Embassy in Serbia said Washington was ready to work on shared priorities, build on the U.S.–Serbia Strategic Dialogue and strengthen ties between the two countries. U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Alexander Titolo and former National Bank of Serbia Governor Dejan Šoškić also attended.
Student List Prepares for New Parliament
The meeting came less than three weeks after Serbia’s October 25 snap parliamentary election. The Student List, which ran under the name “Students Are Winning,” secured 140 of the National Assembly’s 250 seats. The new parliament is scheduled to hold its first session on November 17.
Ahead of the talks, the student movement identified the rule of law and energy as priorities for its meetings with U.S. and Italian diplomats. It pointed to the importance of both issues for Serbia’s institutions and economic security.
Student List Holds Separate Talks With Russia
Student List representatives also met with Russian Ambassador Aleksandar Botsan-Kharchenko on Thursday. Šoškić and Miodrag Krmar attended the meeting, which the Russian Embassy said covered bilateral relations and cooperation in international forums.
The Russian Embassy said it also reiterated Moscow’s position on Kosovo during the talks.
