Paolo Zampoli, the U.S. Special Representative for Global Cooperation, said in an appearance on RTRS that it is a great honor for him to be in Republika Srpska and that, as he put it, he “wants our countries to grow closer.”
“I am glad to be here as a high-ranking government official and to be able to demonstrate goodwill to unite us even more, in all spheres—from business to sports, cultural and public diplomacy. I spoke with Republika Srpska Prime Minister Savo Minić about another primary goal for us, which is ‘Freedom 250,’ the birthday of the United States, as we are celebrating 250 years of existence. We will have events that will last several months throughout the year, organized not only by the U.S. government but also by cities, states, consulates, and embassies. I asked the prime minister to support this initiative in cooperation with the embassy, and he provided us with that support. The U.S. president is focused on business, as we all know, and wants to bring peace and prosperity to the people. That is his agenda. We know how important the Balkans are and we want to redefine relations between our countries, because there is always room for improvement,” Zampoli said.
He noted that the prime minister gave him a very important folder containing many projects that could be of interest to the United States.
“My job is to take this folder and share it with my colleagues at the State Department, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Energy, and the Department of the Treasury, and to see how we can establish faster cooperation between our countries. My role is to connect people within global partnerships. You know our country is very large and that we export a lot, so many good things can come out of what we can do together,” Zampoli said.
He added that he also met with Milorad Dodik.
“It is wonderful to represent the United States when we have more and more friends every day. I think everyone loves my president because he stands for peace. It is an honor and a privilege to serve the president and the people of the United States. He has brought peace to eight countries, and soon to a ninth, in less than a year of his mandate. That is why we are working on the ‘Trump Peace Prize.’ We want our countries to grow closer, and I am glad to be here as a high-ranking government official and to show goodwill to unite us even more, in all spheres—from business to sports, cultural and public diplomacy. Republika Srpska has recently been very active in its diplomatic engagement with the United States,” Zampoli said.
He emphasized that he has been traveling since Davos and was not in the United States during the visit of the Republika Srpska delegation, but thanked everyone who visited his country.
“You are always welcome. I briefly heard that the visit went well, and it would be good for it to remain that way, to strengthen ties between our countries, which would be good for everyone. All those who advocate peace are important so that we can come together. We should all be friends and cooperate,” Zampoli said.
Zampoli noted that there are many things that can be done together.
“My team will work with the embassies as well as with your people, and I am confident that we will all be very satisfied. I look forward to returning soon. I believe that friendship with the United States is crucial, because we like to have friends all over the world. We have few friends and would like to have more. I think the results will show that the visit was successful and that we have forged a friendship,” he said.
He added that he has already told the prime minister that he believes there are some very interesting projects involved.
“We are ready to cooperate and to move forward quickly within the mandate of my president. I am sure the projects are good. I am convinced that my people will act quickly, because I see that your people are ready for cooperation,” Zampoli said.
Asked how he assesses the future course of President Trump’s mandate, given that he has known him for a long time—“only 30 years,” as he put it—Zampoli replied:
“Politicians are always an obstacle. We all work in government. President Trump brings peace and prosperity to our country, first and foremost to America, because Americans elected him. Of course, we want to bring prosperity to other countries as well, and everyone should live prosperously, have good jobs, and the economy is the most important thing for a country,” Zampoli said.
At the end, Zampoli also sent a message to the citizens of Republika Srpska.
“Make sure you qualify for FIFA so you can come to my country soon. Don’t worry, I’m of Italian origin, and Italy hasn’t qualified yet either. Don’t feel bad if you don’t make it. In any case, I will welcome you with open arms,” Zampoli said.
Source: RTRS
