Under the leadership of well-known figures Joe DioGuardi and Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi, a delegation from the Executive Board and the International Advisory Committee of the Albanian-American Civic League spent several days this week in Washington.

The main event was active participation in the annual meeting of the Former Members of Congress (FMC). This meeting brings together former and current members of Congress, honors distinguished senators and representatives, and discusses experiences and opportunities for the further development of the American state.

It was a particular pleasure to hear statements of cooperation from representatives of both major political parties, Republican and Democratic.

The League’s delegation held numerous important discussions and meetings before and during this event with congressmen, senators, and key members of their staff specializing in international relations.

Among them were: Congressman Gregory Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Senator John Boozman; Senator Raphael Warnock; Congressman Bill Huizenga; Grace Cason, legislative assistant to Senator Tammy Duckworth; Samantha Schifrin, advisor on defense and foreign policy; and Wonyong Shim, legislative assistant to Senator Cory Booker.

The main topics of discussion included further advancing relations between the Albanian and American people, confronting Serbian hegemonism in the Balkans, and resolving the conflict between Kosova and Serbia.

Serbia remains the main source of instability in the Balkans. The Milosevic regime caused four wars, which it lost, and committed genocide in Bosnia and Kosovo with the aim of regional domination and territorial expansion. The current policies of Aleksandar Vučić’s regime continue along the same line, albeit with different methods.

NATO, led by the United States of America, was forced to intervene militarily to stop the genocide in Kosovo. The U.S. has helped in declaring Kosova’s independence and has continuously invested in building democracy and strengthening the state.

The dialogue with Serbia, led by the European Union, has not produced the expected results. For this reason, direct involvement by the United States is considered necessary. Likewise, increasing the presence of American troops at Bondsteel is seen as a factor of stability.

Only Kosova’s membership in NATO can definitively stop Serbian aggression and guarantee lasting peace in the region.

For this reason, greater engagement is required from senators, congressmen, and their professional staff, in cooperation with the U.S. administration, to strengthen the state of Kosova—an objective that also aligns with U.S. strategic interests in Europe.

The people of Kosova and the entire Albanian nation remain among America’s most steadfast and reliable allies, while Serbia continues to maintain close ties with countries such as Russia, China, Iran, and other actors in opposition to American interests.