Hearing of the Europe and Eurasia Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee - "The State of Affairs in the Balkans"

Statement

Thank you, Chairman Burton, for scheduling this timely hearing on the current state of affairs in the Balkans.

I know that you just visited the region and this is a welcome opportunity to receive an overview from Assistant Secretary Gordon and our other esteemed panelists.

Pathways to success in the Balkans are not always obvious, but potential consequences of failure are becoming increasingly so.

The situation in northern Kosovo remains volatile, and just last week, an inter-ethnic fist fight escalated into a shooting spree that claimed the life of a Serb Kosovar and left two others wounded in the town of Mitrovica. This tragic incident took place merely two weeks after a gunman opened fire on the US Embassy in Sarajevo.

These two unrelated incidents are reminders that the United States has an interest in ensuring peace, stability and progress in the Balkans. We must not allow any country in the region to fall victim to ethnic hatred, organized crime, or failed institutions.

Against the regrettable backdrop of recent violence, we should acknowledge the many indications of tangible progress:
* One of the most painful and difficult issues for the region -- the legacy of unresolved war crimes issues -- has seen symbolic closure with the arrest of the remaining fugitives from ICTY indictments this summer. Particularly President Tadic and the Government of Serbia deserve applause and acknowledgement on this issue.
* The Western Balkans have evolved from being "security consumers" to net contributors for peacekeeping and international security operations abroad. Croatia and Albania joined NATO in April 2009, while Macedonia, Bosnia and Montenegro are contributing to the NATO-led ISAF mission in Afghanistan.

* A joint policy objective for the Balkan nations, the United States and the European Union is to integrate the entire region into the EU and NATO. This integration is slowly moving forward, though at an uneven pace: Slovenia joined the EU in 2004; Croatia is expected to join the European Union in 2013; Montenegro is expected to receive a date for opening of accession talks and Serbia is expected to receive candidate status during an EU Summit in December.

* Ethnic Serb enclaves in southern Kosovo, where NATO forces had to protect civilians with heavily armored troop carriers only a few years ago, are no longer areas of concern or hostility.

* Regional cooperation is quietly developing to fight organized crime, resettle war refugees and restitute their losses, and address the issues of war crimes.

* Anti-corruption measures are starting to expose and hopefully eliminate foul play at the highest levels, including former Croatian Prime Minister, Ivo Sanader, a move that some analysts attribute to the demands of the EU accession process.

The United States has a positive role to play in each of these endeavors. If we disengage, others will fill the void -- and not with good intentions. Influencers stand ready in the wings to stimulate organized crime, encourage radicalism, and rekindle violence, while others want to ensure that the region's orientation is not towards Euro-Atlantic integration, but rather towards "spheres of influence" further East.

We undertake this role in close coordination with our European partners, who share our interest in regional integration, stability and prosperity.

I believe that it continues to be in our national interest to engage ambitiously with the Balkan region, and I look forward to our witness testimonies on this topic.

Thank you, I yield back.

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