Embassy of the United States Serbia

It is my pleasure to be here for the final part of the Serbia Youth Leadership Program. 

Thank you, Minister Samardzic Markovic, for taking the time to come here and meet the Serbian and American participants. Thank you as well, Civic Initiatives, for organizing this event.

It is wonderful to see all of you students from America and Serbia coming together, sharing your experiences, cultures, and ideas. 

I understand that the Americans have been traveling around Serbia, spending time in homes and schools. 

One of my staff, who was with them on their visit to a Belgrade school, remarked that it was nearly impossible to tell who were the Americans and who were the Serbs. 

You all just looked like typical teenagers, mixed together, cracking jokes and having fun. To me, that is a sign that these exchange programs work well. 

You may come from opposite sides of the globe, speak different languages, but you connected easily and have learned something about each other. I hope that the friendships you have made are lasting. Don’t let the end of this program be the end of your contact!

Actually, I am sure many of you will stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, so keep up those online chats! And, don’t forget the American Embassy; check out our Facebook page. 

I hope you all enjoyed this program and got a lot of out it. 

Thank you.