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Members of Congress and senior US officials, as well as members of the parliaments of European countries and the Western Balkans, expressed concern on Wednesday about the malign influence of Russia and China in the Western Balkans. They spoke on this topic at a forum in the US Congress.
Participants said that Russia and China are trying to increase their influence through political interference and disinformation in the case of Moscow, as well as mainly through economic and infrastructure investments in the case of Beijing.
They emphasized the need to strengthen coordination between the US and its allies with the countries of the Western Balkans. They also spoke about the need for regional integration.
Republican Congressman Pete Sessions, one of the co-chairs and organizers of the discussion, told VOA that Russia has been trying to destabilize the Balkans for years, and that it is clear that it uses disinformation and force when it wants to achieve its goals.
"The destabilization of the Balkans (by Moscow) is something that each of the countries there sees, and they see that not only is it happening, but that there is a deliberate attempt to undermine these countries," he said.
Mr. Sessions says that the United States and Western organizations should support the stability of the region.
"The EU, NATO and the United States must be united and say strongly that 'we support these countries and we will stand together with them.' This is what these countries need: for the United States of America to stand firmly by their side," he said.
His colleague, Republican Congressman Robert B. Aderholt expressed concern that Russia's and China's campaign for influence is growing and therefore...
"... the countries of the Balkans today more than ever are vital to the partnership with the United States and must have a unified stance against negative influences," he said.
Albania's former Defense Minister, Fatmir Mediu, who organized the meeting along with Congressmen Sessions and Aderholt, said it is clear that security is the top issue in the world today.
"It seems clear that there is a move by Russia but also by China, maybe also by Iran, to create problems in the Balkan region, to have another point of conflict and to shift attention from Ukraine," he told Voice of America.
Mr. Mediu adds that the Balkan countries themselves, which are members of NATO, must take measures to create preventive political and military mechanisms in the Balkan region.
"... We must discuss together what these concerns are and what the solutions are for the Western Balkans. If we look at how these forces, such as Russia and China, act, the first is that they try to ignite new conflicts, the second is to create a kind of status-quo regarding the situation, unresolved problems, to prevent membership in the European Union and NATO and expand their geo-economic and geo-political influence".
Naz Durakoglu, Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs emphasized that the United States is very concerned about the influence of China and Russia in the region, the first through infrastructure and the second through gas and disinformation, and their focus is against NATO and United States.
"We use foreign aid to help integrate the countries of the Western Balkans into the EU and with each other," she said.
She also emphasized the importance of reforms, the fight against corruption and the strengthening of democracy.
Balkan affairs analyst Edward Joseph told VOA that he reminded members of Congress and US officials how important the Balkans is...
"This region is part of Putin's strategy. He wants to divide Europe from the United States and he wants to divide Europe within itself, and the Balkans is a major way to do that," he said.
Mr. Joseph emphasized that for Moscow, influence in the Balkan region is done at a low cost but with great consequences and said that Russia has the help of Serbia in its efforts. But he said the cards are in the hands of the West for the direction of the region.
"We hold the cards, the West, the United States, the European Union, those of NATO. It is different from Ukraine. Russia is too far away to bring ground forces. NATO members surround the Balkans. "All the countries of the region, except Serbia, want to join NATO," he said.
In a reminder of the geopolitical situation the world is in today and the challenges it faces, Ukraine's representative at the forum, MP Alex Goncharenko, called for continued aid to his country, at a time of debate in the Capitol, where the approval process of further aid for the war against Russia, has stalled. /VOA
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