Rafaela Prifti/
Bypartisan legislation to enhance United States Policy toward the Western Balkans was reintroduced in Congress on May 18th ahead of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing on the region. Here are a few takeaways from the day.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chair of the SFRC Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, and Senator Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi renewed their bipartisan legislation with original co-sponsorship from Democratic Senators Cardin, Van Hollen of Maryland and Durbin of Illinois. The bill titled the Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act aims to increase stability through economic development in the region by promoting initiatives on infrastructure, trade and anti-corruption, and by shoring up the commitment to the US partners in the region, legislators said.
The sponsors of the renewed legislation underlined the importance of the Balkan partnerships in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “This bill will move us in the right direction and hold accountable those who threaten peace in the still volatile region of the Western Balkans,” said Senator Cardin.
In his remarks, Senator Durbin invoked the high cost of the war that ravaged the Balkans in the late 90s where the US-led alliance stepped in firmly to restore peace and be a factor of stability to this day. “As Putin’s unprovoked war in Ukraine continues, we must not forget the hard-won peace in the Balkans, which suffered terrible violence after the breakup of Yugoslavia. The United States and our allies contributed greatly to ending that horrific conflict, and this legislation reaffirms our commitment to seeing a stable future for the region—one squarely rooted in the West.”
Following the introduction of the bill, the Senate hearing on Western Balkans included the testimonies of Senior adviser at the US State Department, Derek Chollet and Deputy Assistant Secretary Gabriel Escobar.
At the hearing, the chairman Senator Bob Menendez presented the current situation in the region and the sharp contrast between Kosova – a democratic country, and Serbia – an authoritarian state backed by organized crime. Despite Kosova’s reaffirmed orientation towards the EU and US, the pressure is mounting on its representatives to accept the Association as per agreements, while Serbia continues to violate the agreed terms of the same meetings, such as opposing Kosova’s membership in the Council of Europe and encouraging the boycott of municipal elections by the Serbian minority.
Deputy Assistant Secretary and envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar said that the major obstacle to enduring peace and prosperity in the Western Balkans is the fraught relationship between Kosovo and Serbia. In his testimony, Mr. Escobar briefly spoke of the February and March agreements focusing on two main sticking points, namely the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities and the Missing Persons.
“I see no guarantee that the Association of Serbian Municipalities will not become another Republika Srpska, which would make Kosova a dysfunctional state, like Bosnia. I asked the same question to Mr. Escobar a year ago and did not receive a satisfactory answer,” said Senator Menendez.
Mr. Escobar’s explanation that “the Association Agreement is an international obligation accepted by Kosova 10 years ago” fell flat and unconvincing given that Kosova’s Constitutional Court has declared it unconstitutional.
During the questioning Mr. Escobar was not responsive on how to square Serbia demands for the rights of its minority in Kosova in light of the heavy handed purging by Serbian authorities of ethnic Albanians in Presheva Valley.
Both officials emphasized the harmful Russian influence in Serbia and the importance of neutralizing it by bringing the country closer to the Euro-Atlantic community.
Mr. Escobar tried to make a point that the protracted and fruitless rounds of dialogue between Kosova and Serbia have played into Russia’s hand. “For far too long, failure to make progress has allowed Russia to play a spoiler role against Serbia’s strategic goal of European integration.”
Notably neither Mr. Escobar nor Counselor Derek Chollet mentioned the mutual recognition of Kosova and Serbia. Instead, in his testimony Mr. Chollet repeated some of the ‘commitments’ such as establishing the Association, protecting religious sites and the countries recognizing each other’s documents and national symbols.
Mr. Chollet and Mr. Escobar tried to “both-side” the blame for the lack of progress in the EU led talks. It was Senator Menendez who outlined the focus of the US policy on the issue. “Seeking a fair and lasting solution, not some temporary solution that favors one side. Our goal should be a final agreement based on mutual recognition, nothing else”, concluded Senator Menendez.
Both Mr. Escobar and Mr. Chollet spoke strongly in support of furthering the European integration of Albania and North Macedonia.
With regard to security and the dangers Albania saw in 2022 due to its collapse, Mr. Escobar said that the US is making a considerable investment towards protecting against cyber threats. “Iran’s devastating cyberattacks on Albania last year underscored that we must continue to assist allies and partners in the region to strengthen their security. The United States has committed approximately $50 million in cybersecurity assistance to Albania’s civilian and military sectors – one of our largest cyber support contributions to any individual country to date.”
It is worth-noting that the Albanian-American Civic League led by former Congressman Joe DioGuardi, Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi, Balkan expert and their supporters stay active in pressing the important issues that matter to Albanians.