ICYMI: Shaheen Concludes Final CODEL as Ranking Member of Senate Foreign Relations Committee to Western Balkans
WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senate Democratic Whip and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, concluded their October 6-13 congressional delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia and Kosovo. This was Senator Shaheen’s final delegation as Ranking Member.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Senators met with a member of the Presidency, as well as other senior officials, and honored the victims of the Srebrenica genocide at Potocari and the Srebrenica Memorial Center. Ranking Member Shaheen participated in Sarajevo’s honorary citizenship ceremony and met with BOLD young leaders.
In Albania, the delegation met with President Bajram Begaj, Prime Minister Edi Rama, young opposition leaders and SPAK representatives. Ranking Member Shaheen joined an Atlantic Council youth discussion to underscore the need to invest in Albania's next generation to continue building a prosperous future. Ranking Member Shaheen and Senator Durbin were named members of the Supreme Order of the Eagle—the nation's most prestigious honor—by President Begaj.
In Montenegro, Ranking Member Shaheen and Senator Durbin met with Prime Minister Milojko Spajic to discuss NATO cooperation, European Union accession and U.S.-Montenegro economic relations. Ranking Member Shaheen was a key advocate for Montenegro’s accession to NATO in the Senate and has long been a champion of the Western Balkans as a security priority for the Alliance. The Senators also met with President Jakov Milatovic at the Blue Palace in Cetinje, Montenegro’s honorary capital, where Ranking Member Shaheen was named a member of the Order of the Montenegrin Flag.
In Dubrovnik, the Senators visited the State Archives with Mayor Mato Frankovic and viewed documents from the 18th century demonstrating the longstanding link between Croatia and the United States. The Senators also paid tribute at the Ronald Brown Memorial House in remembrance of the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and those killed with him in the 1996 plane crash.
In Zagreb, the Senators met with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and Speaker of Parliament Gordan Jandrokovic. Their discussions with Croatian officials addressed regional security and support for a deepened economic partnership.
In Kosovo, the Senators met with newly-elected President Justina Shiroka Pula, Prime Minister Albin Kurti, opposition representatives and former President Vjosa Osmani. Discussions addressed U.S.-Kosovo relations, the economy, democratic institutions and community rights and security. The Senators also thanked Marines serving in Pristina.
“Since my first Senate visit in 2010, I have had the privilege of meeting with people across the Western Balkans, and those conversations have informed my work on the region throughout my career in Congress,” said Ranking Member Shaheen. “I am grateful to everyone who welcomed Senator Durbin and me and shared their experiences during this visit. Over the years, I have been able to see the transformation of the region firsthand, and I am confident that the work to strengthen democracy and peace building within the Western Balkans will continue.”
Across the trip, Ranking Member Shaheen discussed the Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act’s provisions on economic cooperation, anti-corruption and youth exchanges.
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