Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs and Special Representative to the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar is traveling to Belgium, Kosovo, Austria, and Montenegro March 10-18, 2024. His visit will reaffirm the United States' commitment to the countries of the Western Balkans as they pursue Euro-Atlantic integration and deeper regional cooperation.
While in Belgium, Special Representative Escobar will meet with EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajčák and other European Union and NATO officials to discuss efforts to advance reforms that will bring lasting peace, stability, and prosperity to the Western Balkan region. In Kosovo, he will meet with Kosovan government leaders, civil society, and Kosovan Serb communities to underscore the United States' continued strong support for the EU-facilitated Dialogue on normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
The Special Representative will conduct meetings on the impact of the new Central Bank of Kosovo regulations on cash operations and urge steps to ensure that the needs of Kosovans citizens are met fully and without interruption. In Austria, Special Representative Escobar will meet with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to discuss Serbia's December elections and upcoming municipal elections in Serbia and national elections in North Macedonia. The Special Representative will also travel to Montenegro, where he will emphasize U.S. support for a democratic Montenegro firmly rooted in the Euro-Atlantic community in meetings with Montenegrin government, civil society, and business leaders.
