On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I extend best wishes to the people of Serbia as you celebrate your National Day on February 15.

We applaud Serbia’s commitment to the EU accession process and related reforms, which was recognized with the opening of the first two acquis chapters in December. The hard work of adopting EU norms and standards will lead to a more prosperous, democratic Serbia that is more fully integrated into Euro-Atlantic institutions.

We commend Serbia's efforts to promote regional stability, which have led to substantial progress in the normalization of relations with Kosovo and to the improvement of relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania.

As I told Prime Minister Vucic when we met in Belgrade in December, the United States is committed to working with Serbia as it implements rule of law and other reforms necessary to build a solid foundation for continued economic growth and greater prosperity.

I congratulate the people of Serbia and look forward to the continued strengthening of our partnership in the years to come.