-------- Original Message -------- Subject: [sn-vesti 65893] Political Ambassador to Serbia - Vladimir Petrovic - "born and reared in Serbia" Date: Wed, 20 May 2009 07:19:19 -0400 To: <spart...@ix.netcom.com>
lett...@washingtontimes.com <mailto:lett...@washingtontimes.com> *"Mr. Petrovic, who has served at the Serbian Embassy in Washington since 2007, worked as a fundraiser for Mr. Obama's Senate campaign in 2004."* http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/20/embassy-row-52863927/ Embassy Row By James Morrison <http://www.washingtontimes.com/staff/james-morrison/> (Contact <http://www.washingtontimes.com/staff/james-morrison/contact>) | Wednesday, May 20, 2009 *POLITICAL AMBASSADOR* The new ambassador from Serbia is a former Democratic Party activist from *President Obama*'s home state, which puts him in a good position politically to mend relations between his native country and the United States. *Vladimir Petrovic*, who was born and reared in Serbia, was due to present his diplomatic credentials to Mr. Obama on Wednesday, just as *Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.* was expected in Belgrade on the highest-level U.S. visit in nearly 30 years. Serbia-U.S. relations were strained over the U.S. recognition of the independence of the Albanian enclave of Kosovo last year. Many Serbs also hold a lingering resentment over the U.S. and NATO bombing of Serbia during the Kosovo war in 1999. The Serbian government was looking for a new ambassador with the change of U.S. presidential administrations and chose Mr. Petrovic, with his political connections, said a Serbian source who asked not to be identified because Serbian diplomats are not authorized to talk to the press. *Mr. Petrovic, who has served at the Serbian Embassy in Washington since 2007, worked as a fundraiser for Mr. Obama's Senate campaign in 2004.* Earlier, he worked on the Illinois campaigns of *Joseph Moore* for the Chicago City Council and *Joseph Mario Moreno* for Cicero Town president. Before working on Mr. Obama's campaign, Mr. Petrovic was deputy political director and consultant for ethnic outreach for *Blair Hull*, who ran against Mr. Obama for the Democratic senatorial nomination. Mr. Hull dropped out of the primary over allegations that he had abused his ex-wife when they were married. Mr. Petrovic also served on Democratic political campaigns in Michigan for *Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm* and *Sen. Carl Levin* and on the unsuccessful House race of lawyer David Fink in 2002. Mr. Petrovic returned to Serbia in 2007 to work in the Foreign Ministry and was dispatched to Washington later that year as minister-counselor and deputy chief of mission at the Serbian Embassy. He served as charge d'affaires from February 2008, when Serbia recalled *Ambassador Ivan Vujacic* to protest the U.S. recognition of Kosovo, until October, when Mr. Vujacic returned. Call Embassy Row at 202/636-3297, fax 202/832-7278 or e-mail jmorrison@ washingtontimes.com.
