Chollet begins visit to the Western Balkans, Kosovo and Serbia first on the agenda

(Patria) - Advisor to the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Derek Chollet, will visit Western Balkan countries from December 12 to 16. He will be accompanied by Gabriel Escobar, Special Envoy for the Western Balkans.

He will first visit Kosovo, then Serbia, followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Croatia. After this visit, he will go to Brussels.

This visit underscores the United States' enduring commitment to the peace, stability, and prosperity of the region, the State Department announced.

From December 12 to 13, Chollet will be in Pristina, where he will meet with government officials and other political leaders to discuss continued cooperation on a range of issues, including US efforts to advance Kosovo's integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures, including the EU-facilitated dialogue to reach a comprehensive agreement on the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, focused on mutual recognition. The visit comes amid heightened tensions and incidents in northern Kosovo. Serbia will seek the return of its troops to Kosovo, while President Vjosa Osmani says she does not even want to discuss it. In the coming days, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić are expected in Brussels for another round of talks, at the invitation of Josep Borrell, the head of European diplomacy.

After Kosovo, Chollet will visit Belgrade, where he will discuss energy security, regional economic integration, and Serbia's progress towards its goal of EU membership with the Serbian government leadership.

He will also discuss Serbia's role in strengthening regional peace and security and its continued engagement in the EU-facilitated dialogue to achieve comprehensive normalization of relations with Kosovo.

On December 14, Advisor Chollet will arrive in Sarajevo to meet with representatives of BiH authorities to discuss the rule of law, economic, energy, and defense reforms, as well as with officials involved in combating corruption and other forms of serious crime.

He will also travel to Skopje, where he will meet with government leaders to discuss a range of issues, including energy, the economy, and the fight against corruption.

On December 15, Chollet will travel to Podgorica, Montenegro, to meet with government leaders and civil society to discuss the current political stalemate, the joint commitment of the US and Montenegro to regional security, and Montenegro's continued progress towards Euro-Atlantic integration.

In Zagreb, he will meet with government officials to discuss defense sector cooperation, European energy security, and economic prosperity and security in the region, and will finalize Croatian agreements on mutual legal assistance and extradition with the United States.

Chollet will then travel to Brussels from December 16 to 17 to discuss cooperation with European partners and allies on a range of global issues, including continued support for Ukraine, the EU accession path and European integration of the Western Balkan countries, energy security, and the EU-facilitated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, according to a State Department statement.