January 5, 2005
Embassy of the United States of America
Belgrade

Holiday Greetings by U.S. Ambassador Michael C. Polt RTS, December 24, 2004

Srećna Nova Godina i Srećan vam Božić

Happy Holidays…… I am delighted to have this opportunity to address the people of Serbia and Montenegro during this holiday season……… to share with you my warmest holiday wishes… to thank you personally for hosting my family and me here in your great country… and to bring you a message of friendship and hope for the year ahead from the American people.

My family and I have been your guests here for almost seven months now… During that time, I have been struck by the graciousness of the Serbian and Montenegrin people, by the warmth and hospitality shown to strangers, and by the richness of your cultures.

I am working hard to further the friendship between our two countries and to work together with you, as partners in moving Serbia and Montenegro forward, into the bright future that is your destiny. I am dedicated to this effort, especially because I know that what you want for yourselves… is no different than what I, and other Americans, want for ourselves and our loved ones.

Our countries share a long history of close friendship. Our deep respect for your country dates back to long before you were called Yugoslavia… Serbia and Montenegro were bulwarks in Europe against foreign invasion… You were our staunch allies in two world wars. Many American servicemen owe their lives to freedom fighters from Serbia and Montenegro. Earlier this year, I met with several American veterans who returned to Serbia to pay homage to those who had helped save their lives…

Serbia and Montenegro fought Nazism in Europe, defied Stalin and the Soviet Union throughout the Cold War, and ultimately reclaimed your country from the criminality of the Milosevic regime.

The friendship between our peoples continues today, even as political differences continue to cloud the relationship between our governments. We are reaching out to you in ways that we sincerely believe will benefit your country and ours… in ways meant to help citizens throughout this nation. My government is committed to helping put Serbians and Montenegrins back to work in good, promising jobs and giving you the opportunity to provide for a solid future for your children.

Since October 5, 2000, the people of the United States have invested nearly one billion dollars in supporting Serbia and Montenegro's development through our assistance programs and debt relief. More than 200 million dollars of this has been directly devoted to what you have said is most important to you: improving the economy and stamping out corruption and criminality in your society.

Our business relationships have already produced tangible benefits that have directly affected the lives of thousands of citizens of this country. For instance, U.S. Steel and Phillip Morris alone support over 10,000 high quality jobs in Serbia. New exports have put 275 million more dollars into the hands of Serbian citizens and companies in the first half of 2004 alone. One quarter of that growth came from large increases in iron and steel exports by US Steel Serbia.

In Montenegro, over 186 million dollars in U.S. assistance programs invested since 2000 are helping to improve conditions for attracting foreign investment in sectors such as tourism, telecommunications and other service industries.

I can promise you that I and my colleagues at the Embassy in Belgrade and in our Consulate in Podgorica will work even harder next year to help the people of Serbia and Montenegro improve their lives.

I am confident in the future success of Serbia and Montenegro. During these holidays, many of us celebrate the birth of hope and salvation…… We gather with friends and family to honor our traditions and to give thanks for our blessings. Those who do not share the Christian faith share equally in our hopes and our blessings.

I pray that in this coming year we will find a way to resolve our most pressing differences and that we will be able to deepen the friendship that has characterized our relationship for most of the last century.

Još jedanput, od sveg srca vam želim srećnu Novu Godinu i Srećan Božic!

5. januar, 2005
Ambasada Sjedinjenih Američkih Država
Beograd

Praznična čestitka Ambasadora SAD Majkl K. Polta RTS, Decembar 24, 2004

Srećna Nova Godina i Srećan vam Božić

Srećni praznici…. Zadovoljan sam što imam priliku da se obratim narodu Srbije i Crne Gore tokom praznika...... da podelim sa vama najsrdačnije praznične želje... da se lično zahvalim što ste primili moju porodicu i mene u vašoj lepoj zemlji.... i da vam prenesem poruku prijateljstva i nade od američkog naroda za nastupajuću godinu.

Moja porodica i ja smo već skoro sedam meseci vaši gosti... Tokom tog perioda uverio sam se u velikodušnost naroda Srbije i Crne Gore, u toplinu i gostoljubivost prema strancima i u bogatstvo vaše kulture.

Naporno radim kako bi produbio prijateljstvo naše dve zemlje i kako bi u saradnji sa vama kao partnerima uveli Srbiju i Crnu Goru u svetliju budućnost koja je vaša sudbina. Ja sam posvećen ovim naporima, naročito jer znam da ono što želite za sebe nije različito od onoga što ja i drugi Amerikanci želimo za nas same i nama bliske osobe.

Naše zemlje dele dugu istoriju prijateljstva. Naše duboko poštovanje prema vašoj zemlji datira iz prošlih vremena kada se još niste zvali Jugoslavija... Srbija i Crna Gora bile su bedem u Evropi protiv stranih invazija... Bili ste naš odan saveznik u dva svetska rata. Mnogi američki vojnici duguju živote borcima za slobodu iz Srbije i Crne Gore. Ranije ove godine susreo sam se sa nekoliko američkih veterana koji su se vratili u Srbiju kako bi odali poštovanje onima koji su im sačuvali živote...

Srbija i Crna Gora se borila protiv Nacizma u Evropi, suprotstavila se Staljinu i Sovjetskom Savezu tokom hladnog rata i na kraju povratila zemlju od kriminalnog režima Miloševića.

Prijateljstvo naših naroda se i danas produžava iako oblaci političkih razlika nastavljaju da se nadvijaju nad prijateljstvom između naših vlada. Mi vam pristupamo na način za koji iskreno verujemo da koristi vašoj kao i našoj zemlji... na načine koji treba da pomognu građanima širom ove nacije. Moja vlada je privržena da pomogne Srbima i Crnogorcima da se vrate na dobre i obećavajuće poslove koji vam daju mogućnost da obezbedite solidnu budućnost vašoj deci.

Od 5. oktobra 2000. godine, narod Sjedinjenih Država investirao je skoro jednu milijardu dolara podrške u razvoj Srbije i Crne Gore kroz naše programe pomoći i otpisa dugova. Više od 200 miliona dolara direktno je posvećeno onome za šta ste rekli da je najvažnije: poboljšanje ekonomije i borba protiv korupcije i kriminala u vašem društvu.

Naše poslovne veze već su proizvele opipljive rezultate koji direktno utiču na živote hiljada građana ove zemlje. Na primer, samo su U.S. Steel and Phillip Morris podržali više od 10,000 visoko kvalitenih radnih mesta u Srbiji. Novi izvozni poslovi doneli su još 275 miliona dolara građanima i kompanijama Srbije u prvoj polovini 2004. Jedna četvrtina tog rasta dolazi iz velikog povećanja izvoza gvožđa i čelika od strane US Steel Serbia.

U Crnoj Gori, preko 186 miliona dolara američke pomoći investirano od 2000. godine pomaže da se uslovi za strane investitore unaprede u sektorima kao što su turizam, telekomunikacije i druge uslužne industrijske delatnosti.

Mogu da vam obećam da ćemo ja i moje kolege iz Ambasade u Beogradu i Konzulata u Podgorici raditi još napornije naredne godine kako bi pomogli da se životi građana Srbije i Crne Gore poboljšaju.

Uveren sam u budući uspeh Srbije i Crne Gore. Tokom ovih praznika mnogi od nas proslavljaju rođenje nade i spasenja... Okupljamo se sa prijateljima i porodicom kako bi odali poštu našoj tradiciji i zahvalili se na blagoslovu. Oni koji ne dele sa nama hrišćansku veru podjednako su zastupljeni u našim nadanjima i blagoslovima.

Molim se da u narednoj godini nađemo način da razrešimo razlike koje nas najviše opterećuju i da budemo u mogućnosti da produbimo prijateljstvo koje karakteriše naše odnose tokom najvećeg dela prošlog veka.

Još jedanput, od sveg srca vam želim srećnu Novu Godinu i Srećan Božić!

back to top ^