The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Europe is set to hold a hearing on Tuesday, September 15, focusing on U.S. policy and regional security challenges in the Western Balkans.
Daniel J. Lawton, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, is expected to testify before the committee.
The hearing comes as the U.S. Congress has shown increased attention to developments in the Western Balkans, including issues involving Kosovo and Albanian communities across the region.
The organization Albanians for America said the hearing represents another important opportunity for developments affecting Albanians and the future of the Western Balkans to receive attention in the U.S. Congress.
The group has also highlighted its efforts over the past year to strengthen communication with U.S. lawmakers and bring issues related to Kosovo, the rights of Albanians in the region, security and Euro-Atlantic integration into discussions surrounding American foreign policy.
In May, Congressmen Keith Self and Suhas Subramanyam visited Kosovo and the Preševo Valley, where they held meetings with political representatives and local community leaders.
As part of these efforts, Self also introduced legislation aimed at assessing discrimination against Albanians in the Preševo Valley. The initiative calls on the U.S. government to evaluate the treatment of ethnic minorities in Serbia.
The hearing is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, which corresponds to 4:00 p.m. Central European Time.
