The co-chairs of the Senate NATO Observer Group, Democrat Jean Shaheen and Republican Thom Tillis, expressed bipartisan commitment to peace and stability in the Western Balkans and discussed ways the United States can support the region’s aspirations for membership in the Union. European.
The two senators expressed their positions in a press release, after a bipartisan meeting at the Capitol with the Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama, the Prime Minister of North Macedonia Hristijan Mickoski and the Foreign Minister of Montenegro, Filip Ivanovic who are in Washington for the NATO high-level meeting.
The senators appreciated the contributions of these countries to NATO, the continuous support for Ukraine and their role towards regional stability.
” We have the opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to the Western Balkans by supporting the progress of each of these countries towards EU membership, which would help our transatlantic alliance achieve regional and global stability,” said Senator Shaheen.
“Our steadfast unity is a clear expression of the determination of the United States not to hold back efforts to undermine peace and stability in the region,” she said.
“The Western Balkans region is critical to Europe’s security, and as co-chairs of the NATO Monitoring Group in the Senate, we made it clear that the United States is committed to opposing totalitarian regimes, particularly in the conditions when Russia continues its illegal war against Ukraine and threatens our NATO allies ,” said Senator Tillis.
Republican senators Mike Rounds, Jerry Moran and Pete Ricketts also attended the meeting. As co-chairs of the NATO Observer Group, Senators Shaheen and Tillis have led bipartisan efforts in the Senate in support of the Transatlantic Alliance. They have called for a reaffirmation of the US commitment to NATO.
This week, the high-level meeting of the alliance is being held in Washington, which marks the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty for its establishment, an anniversary that comes amid vital challenges for the alliance./VOA
