United States vice president Joe Biden has arrived in Sarajevo at the start of a three-day tour of the Western Balkans intended to underline US president Barack Obama’s commitment to engage with the region – an intention complicated by strong anti-US feelings among Serbian leaders.
 
In Sarajevo, Biden was expected to call on rival ethnic leaders to enact reforms critical to Bosnia's hopes of joining the EU and the Nato military alliance, Radio Free Europe said.
 
Serbia’s B92 news website said that according to unnamed US officials, Biden was expected to voice Washington’s support for the Dayton Accords, Bosnia-Herzegovina’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the implementation of reforms necessary for NATO and EU integration.
 
According to the US vice-president’s office, in Sarajevo on May 19 Biden would be joined by High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy for the European Union, Javier Solana. 
 
Biden was scheduled to meet with the Bosnian Tri-Presidency – with tri-President Radmanovic, tri-President Silajdzic and tri-President Komsic. 
 
Biden was to address Bosnia’s parliament and then hold a joint meeting with the governing coalition. In addition, he will meet with the prime minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina Nikola Spiric and prime minister of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik.
 
 
On May 20, Biden will travel to Belgrade, Serbia. He will meet Serbian president Boris Tadic; attend a sitting of the Serbian parliament; meet prime minister Mirko Cvetkovic; defence minister Dragan Sutanovac; and attend a dinner hosted by Tadic.
 
Serbian political commentator Ljiljana Smilovic told the BBC that Biden would get a mixed reception from the government in Belgrade.
 
"The opposition will be impressed, even the anti-American public is going to be impressed," she said.
 
"But at the same time, it carries a slight risk for the government because it will be seen as being too cosy with someone who is really perceived as an enemy of the Serbs."
 
Local daily Press, in a report on May 19, quoted unnamed sources as saying that Biden would demand of Serb politicians to cut down their ties with the Serbs in Kosovo so that EULEX could have control throughout Kosovo, and to scale down Belgrade’s influence on and support for Republika Srpska and its prime minister Dodik.
 
According to the Press report, Biden’s demands will not be put forward as conditions but as proposals for a new kind of co-operation between the US and Serbia.
 
Relations between Washington and Belgrade have been complicated by the US having taken the lead in recognising Kosovo after the unilateral declaration of independence in Pristina in February 2008.
 
On May 21, Biden will travel to Pristina, where will meet president Fatmir Sejdiu; prime minister Hashim Thaci; foreign minister Skender Hyseni; minister of the Kosovo Security Force Fehmi Mujota; and parliament president Jakup Krasniqi. Biden will then address the Assembly of Kosovo.  
 
Afterwards, he will meet with US ambassador to Kosovo Tina S. Kaidanow. Later, Biden will travel to Camp Bondsteel to meet and speak to US troops and Nato forces stationed there.
 
Kosovo daily Koha Ditore said on May 19 that Biden was expected to be given Kosovo’s highest state honour, The Gold Medal of Freedom, in gratitude for his continuous support for Kosovo’s independence. Biden will be the first foreign office-bearer to receive the medal.
 
Biden is the highest-level US official to visit Serbia since president Jimmy Carter toured Yugoslavia in 1980.