US shifts Balkan policy toward stability and economic cooperation

Under the Trump administration, the United States is shifting its approach in the Balkans from nation-building toward a focus on regional stability, economic cooperation, and maintaining positive relations. Daniel Lotton, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Balkans, testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee regarding this policy shift.

North Macedonia and Montenegro remain close NATO partners. North Macedonia is working toward meeting defense investment targets and is positioned as a key player in regional energy connectivity, specifically regarding a potential trans-Balkan gas pipeline transporting American liquefied natural gas from Greece to Serbia via the port of Alexandroupolis.

Congressional discussions also addressed ethnic issues in Bosnia and Kosovo, as well as Serbia's relationships with the United States, Russia, and the European Union.