US President Donald Trump has extended the Executive Order for a state of emergency in the Western Balkans for another year, citing actions that threaten peace and efforts for stability.
This decision will be transmitted to Congress and has become official with publication in the Federal Register – the official journal of the US government.
“The actions of individuals who threaten peace and international stabilization efforts in the Western Balkans, including acts of extremist violence and obstructionist activity, and the situation in the Western Balkans, which impedes progress toward effective and democratic governance and full integration into transatlantic institutions, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. Accordingly, the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13219, as further developed in Executive Order 13304, as further developed in Executive Order 14033, and as further developed in Executive Order 14140, shall remain in effect beyond June 26, 2025. Accordingly, pursuant to section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I hereby declare that the national emergency declared in Executive Order 1, as further developed in Executive Order 13219, as further developed in Executive Order XNUMX, as further developed in Executive Order XNUMX, as further developed in Executive Order XNUMX, as further developed in Executive Order XNUMX, as further developed in Executive Order XNUMX, as further developed in Executive Order “I am extending for XNUMX year the national emergency declared in Executive Order XNUMX regarding the Western Balkans,” the announcement states.
On June 26, 2001, by Executive Order 13219, then-US President George Bush declared a national emergency with respect to the Western Balkans pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 USC 1701 et seq.) “to address the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by the actions of persons engaged in, or who assist, sponsor, or support, (i) extremist violence in the former Republic of Macedonia (now the Republic of North Macedonia) and elsewhere in the Western Balkans region, or (ii) acts that obstruct the implementation of the Dayton Accords in Bosnia or United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of June 10, 1999, in Kosovo.” The President subsequently amended that order by Executive Order 13304 of May 28, 2003. 2001, to take additional steps in relation to certain actions impeding the implementation, inter alia, of the XNUMX Ohrid Framework Agreement with regard to the former Republic of Macedonia (now the Republic of North Macedonia)”.
“On June 8, 2021, the President signed Executive Order 14033, which expanded the scope of the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13219, as amended, determining that the situation in the territory of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Albania (Western Balkans), over the past two decades, including the undermining of post-war agreements and institutions following the dissolution of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, as well as widespread corruption within various governments and institutions in the Western Balkans, impedes progress toward effective and democratic governance and full integration into transatlantic institutions and thus poses an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”
“On January 8, 2025, the President signed Executive Order 14140, in light of events in the Western Balkans, including the continued efforts of individuals to challenge the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nations of the Western Balkans, to undermine post-war agreements and institutions, to engage in significant corruption that erodes the rule of law and confidence in democratic governance, and to evade United States Government sanctions, as well as to take additional steps related to the national emergency regarding the Western Balkans.”/Express/