BELGRADE, May 25 (BV)— U.S. Representatives Keith Self, a Republican, and Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat, are visiting the Balkans this week, with stops planned in Serbia, the Preševo Valley and Kosovo.
The two lawmakers are expected to meet Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić in Belgrade before travelling to Preševo, a municipality in southern Serbia with an Albanian majority.
Preševo Mayor Ardita Sinani welcomed the visit, calling it a “historic moment for the Valley.”
The visit comes after members of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee approved in January a bill initiated by Self requesting that the U.S. secretary of state prepare a comprehensive report on the position of minorities in Serbia, with special focus on Albanians in the Preševo Valley.
More than 60,000 Albanians live in Serbia, making them the country’s fourth-largest minority, according to the 2022 census.
International reports have described the Preševo Valley, including Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac, as isolated and often receiving attention only during election periods.
Before arriving in Serbia, Self and Subramanyam visited Sarajevo, where they met representatives of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo said the talks focused on strengthening bilateral partnership and supporting stability in the Western Balkans.
The embassy also underlined Washington’s continued commitment to the Dayton Peace Agreement and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s territorial integrity.
The lawmakers also met Principal Deputy High Representative Louis Crishock to discuss the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The congressional delegation is expected to visit Kosovo on Tuesday.
Last week, Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti said he held a virtual meeting with a group of U.S. lawmakers, including Self.
Kurti said bilateral defense cooperation between Kosovo and the United States was “stronger than ever,” citing broad bipartisan support for Kosovo in the U.S. Congress.
In late April, Self, along with Representatives Ritchie Torres and Mike Lawler, introduced a bipartisan resolution aimed at advancing Kosovo’s path toward NATO membership.
The resolution says Kosovo’s democratic governance, civilian oversight of security forces and multiethnic coexistence make a strong case for NATO membership.