Counselor of the Department Derek Chollet will travel to Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Croatia, and Belgium with an interagency delegation from December 11-17. This visit underscores the enduring U.S. commitment to the peace, stability, and prosperity of the region.
On December 12-13, Counselor Chollet will travel to Pristina, Kosovo, where he will meet with government officials and other political leaders to discuss continued cooperation on a range of issues, including U.S. efforts to advance Kosovo’s integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures, including through the EU-facilitated dialogue to achieve a comprehensive agreement on normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, centered on mutual recognition.
On December 13, Counselor Chollet will continue to Belgrade, Serbia, where he will discuss energy security, regional economic integration, and progress towards Serbia’s goal of EU membership with Serbian government leadership. He will also discuss Serbia’s role in strengthening regional peace and security and its continued engagement with the EU-facilitated dialogue to achieve comprehensive normalization of relations with Kosovo.
On December 14, Counselor Chollet will travel to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina to meet with representatives of BiH government institutions to discuss rule of law, economic, energy, and defense-related reforms and with officials engaged in the fight against corruption and other serious crimes. He will also travel to Skopje, North Macedonia where he will meet with government leaders for discussions across a range of issues, including energy, the economy, and the fight against corruption.
On December 15, Counselor Chollet will travel to Podgorica, Montenegro to meet with government leaders and civil society to discuss the current political impasse, our shared commitment to regional security, and Montenegro’s continued progress towards Euro-Atlantic integration. In Zagreb, Croatia, the Counselor will meet with government officials to discuss defense cooperation, European energy security, as well as economic prosperity and security in the region, and he will finalize Croatia’s Mutual Legal Assistance and Extradition treaties with the United States.
The Counselor will then travel to Brussels, Belgium from December 16-17 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 Balkans countries, energy security, and the EU-facilitated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.
