“The United States continues to call on the European Union and European nations to designate or ban Hezbollah in its entirety and recognize the reality that it is a terrorist organization root and branch with no distinction between its so-called ‘military’ and ‘political’ wings,” said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Serbia has agreed to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation, a move welcomed by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who said this would deal another setback to the Iran-backed Lebanese group’s operations in Europe.
“This important action was announced as part of the historic commitments President Trump secured on a wide range of economic normalisation issues between Serbia and Kosovo, coupled with the steps both nations are taking to help achieve peace in the Middle East,” Pompeo declared.
US President Donald Trump hosted a meeting of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovan Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti at the White House earlier this month.
The leaders agreed to establish economic ties in a major step towards easing tension between Serbia and its former province.
Serbia also agreed to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation and move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
“Serbia’s announcement that it will designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation in its entirety is another significant step limiting this Iranian-backed terrorist group’s ability to operate in Europe,” Pompeo said.
“There is no doubt that the dominoes are falling on Hezbollah’s European operations, where it has continued to plot terrorist attacks, procure military technology and raise much-needed funding.”
The EU has so far only recognized Hezbollah’s military wing as a terrorist organization as it continues to make an artificial distinction between the Lebanese Shia group’s political and military wings statement with regard to its political wing.
Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands and the UK have listed the entire Hezbollah as a terror organization. Serbia has now joined this group of EU nations.
“The United States continues to call on the European Union and European nations to designate or ban Hezbollah in its entirety and recognize the reality that it is a terrorist organization root and branch with no distinction between its so-called ‘military’ and ‘political’ wings,” Pompeo said.