U.S. Welcomes Serbia’s Intention to Designate Hizballah as a Terrorist Organization
PRESS STATEMENT
MICHAEL R. POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE
SEPTEMBER 13, 2020
Serbia’s announcement that it will designate Hizballah as a terrorist organization in its entirety is another significant step limiting this Iranian backed terrorist group’s ability to operate in Europe. This important action was announced as part of the historic commitments President Trump secured on a wide range of economic normalization issues between Serbia and Kosovo, coupled with the steps both nations are taking to help achieve peace in the Middle East.
There is no doubt that the dominoes are falling on Hizballah’s European operations, where it has continued to plot terrorist attacks, procure military technology, and raise much needed funding. Recent actions by Germany and Lithuania against Hizballah follow those taken last year by the United Kingdom and Kosovo. The United States continues to call on the European Union and European nations to designate or ban Hizballah 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. We urge all countries in Europe and elsewhere to take whatever action they can to prevent Hizballah operatives, recruiters, and financiers from operating on their territories.
