Secretary of State Marco Rubio told The Pavlovic Today that he hopes to visit Serbia, as the Trump administration moves to deepen relations between Washington and Belgrade.

“Hopefully, I’ll have an opportunity to visit,” Rubio told The Pavlovic Today in New York on Wednesday when asked about Serbia’s evolving role as a U.S. strategic partner and how the administration intends to deepen the relationship.

The prospect of a visit comes amid a broader push by Washington to strengthen ties with Belgrade — a process Rubio said was already underway.

“We’ve taken steps in this administration to grow closer in our interactions. I know we’ve already had individuals from the State Department and other government agencies visit there. Hopefully, I’ll have an opportunity to visit as well.”

Rubio noted that while Serbia is “tied up in some issues that are potentially problematic and explosive” and subject to international interest, the Trump administration is staying the course on deepening the relationship.

“But it is a strategic partnership that we’d like to deepen and intend to do so as we manage some of the potential issues that might emerge,” Rubio confirmed.

Secretary Marco Rubio meets with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in New York City, New York, September 23, 2025. (Official State Department photo by Freddie Everett)

The groundwork to deepen bilateral relationship has already begun.

In July, Rubio and Serbian Foreign Minister opened the first round of the U.S.-Serbia Strategic Dialogue in Washington, establishing an institutional framework for closer relations between the two countries.

The talks marked the beginning of what State Department described as a new chapter in bilateral relations, with the dialogue designed to turn political engagement into cooperation across government.

And the effort is already moving beyond the conference rooms of Foggy Bottom.

The Pavlovic Today reported exclusively last week that the State Department is preparing a major American push at Expo 2027 in Belgrade, the first specialized Expo to be held in the Balkans.

The plans, confirmed by a State Department official, envisage the Expo not merely as a display of American culture but as a platform for deeper U.S. commercial and economic engagement in Serbia and across the wider region.

“We are very excited to be participating in Expo 2027 in Belgrade next year, and we are certain the USA Pavilion will be a great attraction for all Expo visitors who want to learn more about American sports and music as well as American innovation, business successes, and opportunities to collaborate,” a State Department official told The Pavlovic Today.

Now Rubio has added another element to that expanding engagement: the possibility that America’s top diplomat could go to Serbia himself.

From the Strategic Dialogue in Washington to the coming American presence at Expo 2027, the architecture of a closer U.S.-Serbia relationship is beginning to take shape. A Rubio visit to Serbia would add the most visible diplomatic marker yet.

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Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Pavlovic Today. Credentialed at the White House, the U.S. Senate Press Gallery and the State Department. Pavlovic was a Teaching Fellow and Doctoral Fellow in the Political...