What does President Biden's new executive order for the Western Balkans mean?

Commenting on the Bosnian-language Voice service, former director Smith said the changes also show that the United States “believe sanctions or the threat of sanctions, since no immediate definition was made on the basis of the new executive order dealt with the American national security and foreign policy goals in the region”.

In a letter to the American Congress on Wednesday, President Biden said he has decided to keep the executive order for the Western Balkans first announced in 2001 and changed in 2003 and 2021. He made that decision in view of the violent extremist “ans, stumbling operations and the situation in the Western Balkans, which hinders progress towards effective and democratic governance and full integration into transatlantic institutions... continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to American national security and foreign policy”.

The order, according to Mr. Smith, expanded with some elements, such as the “setting, as a basis for definition” -- while previously projected only acts BAR , as well as “the measure for membership in a sanctioned entity”, “the measure of ownership or control from the person specified” and “the proportion of the measure for the wife/or adult child defined by”

He says these new changes “suggest that the US government has in mind individuals you are considering under new measures”.

The U.S. government “is probably trying to send them a powerful message that should change access or risk facing United States sanctions”, said Mr. Smith.

The original 2001 executive order by former President George W. Bush, after the Balkan wars, envisioned sanctions regarding violent extremism, violation of the Dayton Accords and UN Resolution 1244 for Kosovo, and threatened stability in the region.

This order has been renewed every year since then by American Presidents. / VoA