Sense of Congress

Source Credit

It is a sense of Congress that the United States should—
(1) encourage increased business links and investment between the United States and allies and partners;
(2) support regional integration efforts in the Western Balkans;
(3) strengthen and expand regional economic integration in the Western Balkans, with consideration for enterprises owned by and employing women and youth;
(4) work with allies and partners committed to improving the rule of law, energy resource diversification, democratic and economic reform, and the reduction of poverty in the Western Balkans;
(5) increase United States business links and investment with the Western Balkans, particularly in ways that support countries' efforts—
(A) to decrease dependence on Russian energy sources and fossil fuels;
(B) to increase energy diversification, efficiency, and conservation; and
(C) to facilitate the transition to cleaner and more reliable sources of energy, including renewables, as appropriate;
(6) continue to assist in the development, within the Western Balkans, of—
(A) strong civil societies;
(B) public-private partnerships;
(C) independent media;
(D) transparent, accountable, citizen-responsive governance that ensure equal representation of all ethnic groups and respect for religious freedom;
(E) political stability; and
(F) modern, free-market based economies.
(7) support the accession of those Western Balkans countries that are not already members to the European Union and to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (referred to in this section as "NATO") for countries that—
(A) desire membership;
(B) are eligible for membership,
(C) are supported by all allies to proceed with an invitation for such membership; and
(D) are in a position to further the principles of the North Atlantic Treaty and meaningfully contribute to the collective security of NATO;
(8) support—
(A) maintaining the full European Union Force (EUFOR) mandate in Bosnia and Herzegovina as being in the national security interests of the United States; and
(B) encouraging NATO and the European Union to review their mission mandates and posture in Bosnia and Herzegovina to ensure they are playing a proactive role in establishing a safe and secure environment, particularly in the realm of defense;
(9) acknowledge the European Union membership aspirations of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia and support those countries to meet the benchmarks required for their accession;
(10) continue to support the cultural heritage, and recognize the languages, of the Western Balkans;
(11) coordinate closely with the European Union, the United Kingdom, and other allies and partners on sanctions designations in Western Balkans countries and work to align efforts as much as possible to demonstrate a clear commitment to upholding democratic values;
(12) expand bilateral security cooperation with non-NATO member Western Balkans countries, particularly efforts focused on regional integration and cooperation, including through the Adriatic Charter, which was launched at Tirana on May 2, 2003;
(13) increase efforts to combat Russian malign influence campaigns and any other destabilizing or disruptive activities targeting the Western Balkans through engagement with government institutions, political stakeholders, journalists, civil society organizations, and industry leaders;
(14) develop a series of cyber resilience standards, consistent with the Enhanced Cyber Defence Policy and Readiness Action Plan endorsed at the 2014 Wales Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to expand cooperation with partners and allies, including in the Western Balkans, on cyber security, hybrid warfare, and ICT infrastructure;
(15) articulate clearly and unambiguously the United States commitment to supporting democratic values and respect for international law as the sole path forward for the countries of the Western Balkans;
(16) prioritize partnerships and programming with Western Balkan countries that demonstrate commitment toward strengthening their democracies and show respect for human rights;
(17) encourage—
(A) the development and expansion of the respective defense industrial bases of NATO Allies and security partners in the Western Balkan countries; and
(B) increased national defense spending in accordance with the NATO Hague Summit Declaration agreed to by all NATO Allies in June 2025;
(18) support the implementation of the Export Control and Related Border Security programs in the Western Balkans; and
(19) work with allies and partners to strengthen law enforcement and investigative capacities in Western Balkan countries to disrupt transnational criminal organizations and corruption.

History

(Pub. L. 119–60, div. H, title LXXXIII, §8333, Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1865.)