Sponsors (2)
Introduced May 22, 2025 by Jeanne Shaheen · Last progress May 22, 2025
The bill significantly ramps up U.S. diplomatic, economic, security, and people-to-people engagement to strengthen Western Balkan stability, democracy, and trade — but does so at real fiscal cost and with risks of diplomatic friction, operational trade-offs, and administrative burdens.
People in the Western Balkans and U.S. strategic interests — stronger diplomatic and security engagement to reduce risk of renewed conflict, support negotiated settlements, and advance EU/NATO accession, improving regional stability.
U.S. businesses and Western Balkans entrepreneurs — expanded trade, investment promotion, export opportunities, and targeted assistance for startups and SMEs that can open new markets and spur jobs on both sides.
Citizens and institutions in the Western Balkans — increased U.S. support for democratic reforms, anti‑corruption efforts, independent media, and rule-of-law strengthening that can improve governance and reduce ethnic and political strife.
U.S. taxpayers and federal budgets — significant new funding needs, potential loan guarantees, and reallocation of mission resources to support expanded assistance, trade promotion, security cooperation, exchanges, and infrastructure projects.
U.S. diplomacy and some Western Balkans governments — increased risk of diplomatic friction, reduced flexibility in negotiations (including constraints on land-swap ideas), and sovereignty concerns that could strain relations or provoke backlash.
Intelligence operations and policy effectiveness — public naming/identification of influence networks and detailed reporting risks exposing sources, provoking adversary adaptation, or creating diplomatic tensions.
Based on analysis of 22 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes U.S. diplomatic, security, economic, educational, and anti-corruption initiatives with reporting and sanctions provisions to strengthen democracy and cyber resilience in the Western Balkans.
Provides a package of U.S. diplomatic, security, economic, educational, and rule-of-law measures aimed at strengthening democracy, cyber resilience, and resistance to Russian and Chinese malign influence across the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia). It requires multiple interagency reports and strategies, expands regional anti-corruption, university partnership, youth leadership, and exchange programs, preserves and clarifies certain sanctions authorities, and directs steps to coordinate U.S. support with NATO and European partners.