In Serbia, Biden agrees to disagree on Kosovo

Vice President Biden spoke frankly in Belgrade, Serbia, today about the need to incorporate southeast Europe into a Europe that is "whole, free and at peace." He said his presence there in the early days of President Obama's administration illustrates "our commitment to the region and our desire for a strong, new relationship between the United States and Serbia."

But, um, he and Serbian President Boris Tadic simply agreed to disagree on the independence of Kosovo, which Serbia has refused to recognize. The vice president will be there Thursday, including a visit to U.S. and NATO troops.

Biden called on Serbia, which helped to foment ethnic wars in the 1990s, to work toward becoming a "sovereign, democratic, multi-ethnic state with vibrant entities" and one that enjoys "peaceful, positive relations with all its neighbors." That would include Bosnia and Herzogovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Macedonia.

In return, Biden offered U.S. support for Serbian membership in the European Union, along with expanded security cooperation between Serbia, the U.S. and its allies. "We will use our influence, our energy, and our resources to promote Serbia's Euro-Atlantic aspirations," he said.

The Bosnian war claimed at least 100,000 lives, forced more than two million people to flee their homes as refugees and was marred by the Srebrenica massacre, Europe's worst atrocity since World War II.