Europe Subcommittee Chairman Self Delivers Opening Remarks at Hearing on Security Challenges in the Western Balkans

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Europe Subcommittee Chairman Keith Self delivered opening remarks at a hearing titled "U.S. Policy and Regional Security Challenges in the Western Balkans.”

Last December, this committee held a hearing to promote balance in the Balkans. It remains my assessment that the instability in the Western Balkans is the preeminent threat to U.S. national security interests. In a post-Ukraine war in Europe. And I will add, along with the possibility of the kinetic in the Baltic region in the north. In May of this year, I led a congressional delegation to obtain firsthand knowledge of ongoing challenges in the Western Balkans. The core objective of our visit was to engage in dialog and receive perspective from NGOs, government officials, opposition leaders, civic leaders, civilians, students, and military in order to garner ground truth. My message during those engagements was consistent. Preserving stability in the region is essential for future success.

Yet, as it stands today, hybrid warfare is real. Hatred continues. Discrimination is real. Stasis is real. Not preparing for chaos in the Balkans and a post-Ukraine Russia war could prove catastrophic. Projecting strength will be essential to counterbalancing that chaos and preserving regional security. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, for example, the October 4th elections represent an opportunity to move forward in reconciling differences in achieving tangible progress for its citizens. Unfortunately, ethnic divisions between Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats continue apace.

While real policy discussions over state land reform and energy policy should be the focus, historic divisions and grievances persist today. The open question on the role and responsibilities of the Office of High Representative continues to split opinions in the country. The High Representative position was not intended to be permanent, yet here we are, 30 years on. Instead, the objective of the High Representative was to prepare the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina to take full responsibility for its own affairs, without the need of international supervision or governance. 

During my visit to Belgrade, I reiterated the need for Serbia to be a force for stability in the region. Unfortunately, rather than looking toward the future, the Serbian government continues to embrace a narrative of victimization rooted in the past. Such sentiments are demonstrated through its refusal to recognize Kosovo's Independence and giving state honors to convicted war criminals. As we saw last week during the funeral for Ratko Mladić, the architect of the Srebrenica genocide, where more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were murdered. Additionally, investigating the issue of minority rights of ethnic Albanians in southern Serbia, especially in the Presevo Valley, was a priority during our visit. What became clear to me is that no matter where ethnic tensions and discrimination exist, the protection and respect of minority rights across the region continue to be essential in ensuring stability. This also extends to allowing the legal movement of people across borders, including Serbia, Kosovo and North Macedonia. The blocking and gamesmanship over key border crossings is unnecessary and antagonistic. Opening the blocked highway between the ethnic Albanian area of Serbia and North Macedonia would cut a 30 kilometer commute for ethnic Albanians to just 2.5 km and that's just one example. 

In Kosovo, recent elections have been inconclusive in providing a clear governing coalition. As the parliament works to elect a new president, I call on all political leaders to work together in finding common ground. The challenges facing Kosovo domestically and internationally require that a government be formed, particularly a formally elected president. During my visit, I also conducted meetings with NATO military leadership for the Kosovo Force, also known as KFOR. While NATO membership for Kosovo is the most important ingredient for Kosovo's security, this long-standing mission is the present bulwark for peace between Kosovo and Serbia. Both governments recognize it as the key to avoid kinetic conflict.

Consequently, the considered withdrawal of U.S. troops is the most immediate threat to peace between the two countries. This is a prime example of U.S. presence making a difference. As chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe, I will continue advocating for the reality on the ground. Kosovo is an independent, democratic and strategic partner of the United States. Roughly 100 countries recognize the Independence of Kosovo, with estimates as high as 121. It is time for the non-recognizing nations, especially with the four remaining NATO members Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain, to embrace the fact that Kosovo is here to stay. The refusal of these four countries is preventing Kosovo's integration into NATO, which I believe is the biggest obstacle to stability in the Western Balkans. I sponsored House Resolution 1246, which expresses the sense of the House of Representatives in support of Kosovo's integration into NATO. Just to comment on constitutional courts across the region, they continue to show political bias and tangentially, the tribunal in The Hague, tomorrow, I think hopefully will not show the same. I want to applaud the Trump Administration's focus on the Western Balkans. That includes efforts to increase American energy exports to the region, as well as the nominations of ambassadors for Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and a confirmed ambassador for Albania. I urge the administration to put forward nominations for Kosovo and North Macedonia now. It is critically important that President Trump has his personal representatives in each of these countries in order to achieve our objectives and the ambassador is a common issue I hear, both in my office and my travels through the region.

In conclusion, the United States should continue to play a pivotal role in ensuring safety, security and stability in the Balkans, specifically U.S. participation in KFOR and the appointment of ambassadors. In both BiH and Kosovo the conflicts were frozen, not settled, but the envisioned new order was never recognized. Never realized. And time now largely stands still as we move toward the future. I look forward to the testimony of today's witness. We hope that you can provide the State Department's current assessment and policies toward the Western Balkans.