The U.S. will continue to support Serbia's EU membership goals in 2011, U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Mary Warlick stated on Thursday.

“I think Serbia has taken many important steps in 2010 despite the global economic recession to improve its economy and to advance its goal of membership in the EU and while challenges remain I think that there are lots of reasons to be optimistic,” Warlick stated in an interview for Tanjug.

Warlick expressed her sincere wishes for a very joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year, and expressed confidence that the year 2011 will be another very good year for Serbia.

Warlick said that the U.S. and Serbia have the same goals regarding Serbia's future, adding that this was proved by a recent visit of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Belgrade and numerous other important visits of officials of the State Department, the Defence Ministry and the Congress.

She said that the 2011 priorities of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade will be to assist in the justice system reform, in order to help Serbia reach its goals including economic growth and employment increase.

As for the Kosovo issue where the two countries do not see eye to eye, Warlick believes that the September 9 UN General Assembly Resolution provides a very strong basis for what can be a productive and a very important dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina on a whole range of outstanding issues.