S.Amdt. 3516

This amendment, submitted by Mr. Tillis and Mrs. Shaheen, proposes adding a new subtitle to bill S. 2296 called the Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act.

The purpose of this amendment is to establish a comprehensive U.S. strategy to support the peace, stability, and economic growth of the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia). It aims to add the following to the bill:

• Economic and Democratic Support: It encourages increased U.S. trade and investment, promotes regional economic integration, and seeks to reduce the region's dependence on Russian fossil fuels.

• Governance and Security: It establishes initiatives to combat corruption, strengthen cyber resilience, and protect democratic institutions from disinformation.

• Sanctions and Accountability: It codifies existing executive orders for sanctions against those who threaten international stabilization in the region, while providing specific exceptions for humanitarian aid.

• Youth and Education: It authorizes partnerships between U.S. and Western Balkan universities and expands the Young Balkan Leaders Initiative to provide professional development and fellowships for young adults.

• Foreign Influence Countermeasures: It requires regular reporting on malign influence operations conducted by Russia and China to undermine democratic institutions in the region.

• Diplomatic Relations: It sets a U.S. policy against redrawing borders along ethnic lines and supports the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.