Pupin Forum in Washington, DC 2024: Serbia's Path to the West — Strengthening US-Serbia Relations in a Changing World

We have written a new chapter in the history of Serbian-American relations at the Pupin Forum in Washington! 

We brought together over 100 distinguished guests from American political and social life, including representatives from the business community.

Among those present were key decision-makers, and for the first time, the public was introduced to Sasha Kasanof, the new Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Balkans. We also hosted Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djurić, U.S. Congress members from both the Democratic and Republican parties, and Geoffrey Pyatt, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources.

We demonstrated that it is possible to speak positively about Serbian-American relations and Serbia's new positioning toward the West in the very heart of political power.

One to One Conversation with Alexander Kasanof, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs

The inaugural Pupin Forum in Washington D.C. began with an one-on-one conversation between the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Alexander Sasha Kasanof and the Pupin Initiative’s Executive Director Vuk Velebit. In his first public appearance since becoming the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Alexander Kasanof has commended Pupin Initiative on its work on strengthening the U.S - Serbia relations. 

According to DAS Kasanof, Serbia has shown great economic potential and real movement along the value chain, which is showcased by the energy cooperation agreement signed on the same day the Pupin Forum happened. In Kasanof’s words, the agreement is a milestone in Serbian-American relations and a great step forward in support of Serbia.

U.S. Relations with Serbia and the Western Balkans: A Global Perspective

Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-CA) spoke on the second panel alongside Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić and Zev Siegfeld, aide of congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R-NY). Rep. Swalwell has praised Serbia for its support of Ukraine and highlighted that Serbia can be a strong partner with the U.S. on national security, tech, and energy. 

Minister Đurić has stated his commitment and focus on modernizing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and revitalizing the Serbian diplomatic network. In Đurić's opinion, central issues surrounding Serbian-American relations are lack of attention on Western Balkans due to pressing issues elsewhere and sentiments from the 1990s. Zev Siegfeld has also expressed the need to spread the story that Serbia and its relations have moved past the ‘90s.

Energy Security, Supply Chains and E-mobility: Sustainable Solutions for Energy Needs

At the third panel, Geoffrey R. Pyatt, Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources said that the United States hopes to see a stable and prosperous Serbia moving towards EU membership. 

According to Assistant Secretary Pyatt, the rapid impacts of global warming necessitate more American investments in Serbia, with the aims of accelerating Serbia’s green transition, developing the solar energy sector and conducting the mutually beneficial partnership in lithium extraction while following the highest sustainability standards. Assistant Secretary Pyatt has also emphasized that the decision to mine lithium needs to be made exclusively by the Serbian people and their government.

Nemanja Mikać, the CEO of ElevenEs, a Serbian battery manufacturer, has stated that the e-mobility value chain can bring Serbia around 12 billion dollars. He has underscored the complexity of battery production and the necessity of making it cost-effective, scalable and sustainable.

Mikać has also touched on the global race in the sector, where the U.S. is catching up to China while Europe is far behind. However, as the third panelist, Eurasia Group’s Dominic Chiu stated, Serbia is in a great place to turn current geopolitical circumstances in its favor and profit from the e-mobility value chain and green transition.