Beden extends order for emergency situation for Western Balkans

United States President Joe Biden has extended the executive order for emergency situations in the Balkans for another year, praising that the situation in the Balkans continues to pose a threat to national security and US foreign policy.

“The actions of people who threaten peace and international efforts for stabilisation in the Balkans, including acts of extremist violence and divisive activities, and the situation in the Balkans, which hinders progress towards effective and democratic governance and full integration into transatlantic institutions, continue to pose an unusual and major threat to US national security and foreign policy, the order signed by Biden said.

For this reason, according to the announcement, the state of emergency for the Balkans must remain in force even after June 26th, 2024.

The executive order was approved for the first time on June 26, 2001, by former President George W. Bush, after the Balkan wars.

The goal is said to have been implemented by the Law provisions for the International Economic Emergency Competent to address <x0) unusual and extraordinary threats to the country's security and US foreign policy”.

These measures are said to refer to Northern Macedonia, the violation of the Dayton Accords in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or United Nations Resolution 1244 for Kosovo.

The US president later changed that order to “Executive Order 13304” on May 28th 2003, to take additional steps in connection with specific actions barring implementation, among other things, of the 2001 Ohrid Framework Agreement regarding Northern Macedonia.

Also, on June 8, 2021, the Executive Order 14033” was approved, which expanded the extent of the state of emergency at the national level.

This order reportedly states that the situation in the territory of the former Yugoslavia and Albania over the past two decades, including violating post-war agreements and institutions following the collapse of Yugoslavia, as well as widespread corruption in governments and various institutions in the Balkans, prevents progress towards effective and democratic governance and full integration into transatlantic institutions.

The “for this reason poses an unusual and extraordinary threat to US national security and foreign policy”, the White House official page says. /rel