Trump extends state of emergency for the Western Balkans

In the official document published in the Federal Register, the situation in the Balkan region reportedly continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to US national security and foreign policy.

 

 

The report stresses that the actions of individuals who threaten peace and efforts to stabilise in the Balkans continue to hinder democratic progress and the integration of the region into Euro-Atlantic institutions, writes <x0news Albia”, broadcasts Periscope.

For these reasons, the American president has decided that the state of emergency will remain in force for another 12 months. This decision will be transmitted to Congress and has become official with the publication of the Federal Record.

 

 

“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 national security and US foreign policy”, says the order signed by Trump.

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 was to implement the Law provisions for the International Economic Emergency Competent to address “unusual and extraordinary threats to the country's security and US foreign policy”.

The measures were then referred to the situation in northern Macedonia, 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 concerning 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.