The Embassy of the United States in Belgrade is the
diplomatic mission of the United States of America in
Serbia. Serbia, being at a crucial geographic and strategic juncture in the
Balkans, has maintained its significance to U.S. foreign policy.
History
Originally, the United States had relations with
Yugoslavia until 1992, which consisted of several republics including Serbia. Following the declaration of the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) by Serbia and
Montenegro in April 1992, the United States refused to recognize the FRY as the successor state to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Consequently, the U.S. Ambassador was recalled from Belgrade, although the embassy continued its functions under a Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.
During the
Kosovo War and on the eve of the
NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, on March 23, 1999, the United States severed diplomatic relations and closed the Embassy in Belgrade. Relations and full diplomatic ties resumed in November 2000, following an exchange of letters between U.S. President Bill Clinton and Yugoslavia President
Vojislav Kostunica that reestablished full diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Embassy reopened in May 2001, and the formal appointment of an Ambassador to Serbia followed later that year on November 26, with
William Dale Montgomery
William Dale Montgomery (born 1945) is a retired United States diplomat. He served as the US ambassador in Bulgaria, Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro.
Early life and education
Montgomery has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Bucknell Univer ...
taking up the post.
On February 21, 2008, Serbian protesters set fire to the embassy, due to U.S. support for the
2008 Kosovo declaration of independence
The 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence, which proclaimed the Republic of Kosovo to be a state independent from Serbia, was adopted at a meeting held on 17 February 2008 by 109 out of the 120 members of the Assembly of Kosovo, including the P ...
.
See also
*
Embassy of Serbia, Washington, D.C.
*
List of ambassadors of the United States to Serbia
This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Serbia.
Some parts of today's Serbia had been under the occupation of the Ottoman Empire (from 1459 until 1804) while other parts were occupied by Habsburg monarchy (1526–1804), Austrian Em ...
*
Serbia–United States relations
Relations between Serbia and the United States were first established in 1882, when Serbia was a kingdom. From 1918 to 2006, the United States maintained relations with the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and ...
References
{{Diplomatic missions in Serbia
Diplomatic missions in Serbia
Diplomatic missions of the United States
Serbia–United States relations