Serbian prime minister Aleksandar Vucic told VOA that his country is ready to accept US calls to reduce dependency on Russian gas. During an interview in Washington, Vucic said Serbia wants to add alternative energy sources and pipelines that would bring gas to the country through Hungary and Croatia. Vucic was on his first official visit to the United States as Serbia's leader, during which he met with US officials. He said, ‘The officials I met want to encourage the EU to open association talks with Serbia. Our better mutual understanding with the US will help us to get into the EU faster. Washington is a destination of extraordinary importance for us.’ Vucic, a former pro-Russian nationalist who has become a pro-EU advocate, has promised painful reforms to help Serbia's economy, which has been ravaged by wars and international sanctions.