H.R. 5274 — Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act

This section designates the Act as the “Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act” and sets forth the table of contents.

This section states congressional findings on the Western Balkans (i.e., Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia), including their importance to European peace and stability; economic challenges such as poverty, unemployment, and youth out-migration; the role of EU integration reforms and regional initiatives (e.g., Common Regional Market, Berlin Process, Open Balkan); corruption, disinformation, and cyber vulnerabilities; U.S. trade promotion and cyber defense efforts; Russian energy dependence and Chinese influence; President Biden's European Democratic Resilience Initiative; and concerns over Serbia's December 17, 2023, elections based on the OSCE's final report citing unjust conditions, procedural deficiencies, and the need to repeat voting at certain polling stations.

This section expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should promote trade, investment, and economic integration in the Western Balkans—particularly enterprises owned by and employing women and youth—while expanding assistance for regional integration, energy diversification away from Russian sources, civil society development, independent media, transparent governance, and free-market economies. The section further states the sense of Congress that the United States should support EU and NATO accession for eligible Western Balkans countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia); maintain the full EUFOR mandate and strengthen NATO presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including contingency planning; uphold the Berlin Process and Adriatic Charter (launched May 2, 2003); coordinate sanctions with the EU and UK; expand bilateral security cooperation and cybersecurity efforts consistent with NATO's 2014 Wales Summit commitments; combat Russian malign influence; and prioritize partnerships with countries advancing democracy and human rights.

This section defines key terms for purposes of the Act, including (1) appropriate congressional committees, as the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Senate Committee on Appropriations, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and House Committee on Appropriations; (2) ICT, as information and communication technology; (3) Western Balkans, as the region comprising Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia; and (4) Western Balkans country, as any such country.

This section codifies sanctions under Executive Order 13219 (as amended by Executive Order 13304), relating to blocking property of persons who threaten international stabilization efforts in the Western Balkans, and Executive Order 14033, relating to blocking property and suspending entry of certain persons contributing to the destabilizing situation in the Western Balkans. It (1) maintains designations of persons listed as of enactment and continues related sanction authorities; (2) authorizes the President to terminate sanctions upon certification to congressional committees that the person has not engaged in the sanctioned activity for the prior two years or no longer meets the criteria; (3) authorizes waivers for renewable 180-day periods upon a national security determination and 15-day prior notice to congressional committees; (4) provides exceptions for humanitarian assistance, compliance with international obligations, law enforcement and intelligence activities, and importation of goods; (5) authorizes rulemaking under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act; and (6) sunsets eight years after enactment.

This section directs the Secretary of State, through ongoing and new programs, to develop an anti-corruption initiative for Western Balkans countries that (1) expands technical assistance contingent on host government agreement to new national strategies; (2) shares best practices and provides training to law enforcement, judicial institutions, and administrative bodies; (3) strengthens national strategies against political corruption in the judiciary, election oversight, public procurement, freedom of information, and cyber defenses; (4) includes the countries in the European Democratic Resilience Initiative or equivalent; and (5) promotes independent media through government engagements and journalist training. The section states the sense of Congress that U.S. investments in Western Balkans economic integration enhance regional security and democratic resilience; requires the Secretary of State and USAID Administrator, in coordination with other agencies, to submit a 5-year regional economic development and democratic resilience strategy to appropriate congressional committees within 180 days of enactment (with a briefing on progress within 90 days); and authorizes them to coordinate a regional trade and development initiative for Western Balkans countries and bordering EU members that promotes private sector growth (particularly small and medium-sized enterprises and startups led by youth or women), increases intraregional and U.S. exports and investments, and supports capacity-building in sectors including clean energy, agriculture, health, and cybersecurity.

This section expresses the sense of Congress that promoting partnerships between U.S. universities and universities in the Western Balkans—including those in traditionally underserved communities—advances U.S. foreign policy goals through a whole-of-government approach utilizing public-private partnerships, provides opportunities for academic, technical, research, and cultural exchanges, and notes that the seven Western Balkans countries meet eligibility requirements under section 105(c)(4) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151c(c)(4)). The section further authorizes the President, acting through the Secretary of State, to provide assistance consistent with such section 105 (22 U.S.C. 2151c)—which authorizes foreign assistance for education, public administration, and human resource development in developing countries—to promote establishment of these university partnerships, including (1) supporting research and analysis on foreign policy, cyber resilience, and disinformation; (2) working with partner governments to reform policies, improve curricula, strengthen data systems, train teachers and students (including English language teaching), and provide quality inclusive learning materials; (3) encouraging knowledge exchanges to provide relevant education, training, and skills for meaningful employment, particularly for at-risk youth, women, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable, marginalized, or underserved communities; (4) promoting teaching and research exchanges between higher education institutions in the Western Balkans and the United States; and (5) encouraging alliances and exchanges with like-minded institutions in the Western Balkans and larger European continent.

This section (1) states the sense of Congress that the Peace Corps—whose mission is to promote world peace and friendship by helping interested countries meet their need for trained personnel—provides an invaluable opportunity to connect the people of the United States with the people of the Western Balkans and (2) directs the Director of the Peace Corps to submit to the appropriate congressional committees, not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, a report analyzing current opportunities for Peace Corps expansion in the Western Balkans region.

This section establishes the Young Balkan Leaders Initiative, renaming and directing the Secretary of State to expand and implement the Department of State's existing BOLD leadership program—previously for young leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Montenegro—to the entire Western Balkans region, subject to appropriations availability. The initiative promotes educational and professional development for young leaders aged 18 to 35 who demonstrate capabilities in entrepreneurship, innovation, public service, leadership, and community impact (including cross-regional and multiethnic cooperation), through fellowships; capacity building in areas such as business, information technology, cybersecurity, agriculture, civic engagement, and public administration; professional training and networking in leadership, innovation, elections, human rights, entrepreneurship, good governance, and journalism; regional collaboration on good governance, environmental protection, government ethics, and minority inclusion; and tailored economic and technical assistance using existing U.S. mission funds to promote economic growth and U.S.-Western Balkans business ties. It further directs establishment of a flagship public engagement and leadership center in the Western Balkans using existing and future American Spaces to counter disinformation, promote cross-cultural engagement, provide training, harmonize related venues, and facilitate annual regional networking. Finally, it requires a briefing to appropriate congressional committees within 180 days of enactment on the status of Western Balkans exchange programs, including constraints on International Visitor Leadership Program participation, necessary resources, and strategies for connecting alumni across Europe and within the region.

This section expresses the sense of Congress that U.S. support for cybersecurity, cyber resilience, and secure ICT infrastructure in Western Balkans countries strengthens regional defenses against malicious cyber activity and information operations by adversaries, thereby advancing U.S. national security interests. This section further directs the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security and heads of other relevant federal agencies, to submit to the appropriate congressional committees, not later than one year after the date of enactment, a report that includes (1) an overview of interagency efforts to strengthen cybersecurity and cyber resilience in such countries; (2) a review of the information environment in each Western Balkans country; (3) a review of existing U.S. government cyber and digital initiatives countering influence operations and safeguarding elections and democratic processes, strengthening ICT infrastructure and cybersecurity capacity, supporting democracy and internet freedom, and building cyber capacity among U.S. allies and partners; (4) an assessment of cyber threat information sharing between the United States and Western Balkans countries; (5) an assessment of options to better support cybersecurity and cyber resilience, including changes to assistance authorities and advantages or limitations of posting cyber professionals from other agencies to U.S. diplomatic posts in the region and providing relevant training to Foreign Service Officers; and (6) any additional U.S. support needed for the cybersecurity and cyber resilience of NATO allies Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Croatia.

This section expresses the sense of Congress that (1) the Agreement on the Path to Normalization of Relations between Kosovo and Serbia, agreed on February 27, 2023, with EU facilitation, is a positive step; (2) the two countries should make immediate progress on its Implementation Annex; (3) upon sufficient progress, the United States should consider initiatives such as bilateral strategic dialogues and deepened trade and investment with both countries; and (4) the United States should support a comprehensive final agreement based on mutual recognition. The section declares it U.S. policy (1) not to advocate land swaps, partition, or border redrawings along ethnic lines in the Western Balkans and (2) to support pluralistic democracies there to prevent ethnic strife.

This section requires the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, Director of National Intelligence, and other appropriate agency heads, to submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on Russian and Chinese malign influence operations and campaigns in Western Balkan countries seeking to undermine democratic institutions, promote political instability, and harm U.S. and NATO interests—not later than 180 days after enactment of this Act and every two years thereafter. Each report must include (1) assessments of Russian and Chinese objectives, tactics, past effects on U.S. alliances, future tactics, and NATO/country capacities to counter such influence; (2) U.S. agency activities and efforts, including through the Countering Russian Influence Fund and Countering People's Republic of China Malign Influence Fund; (3) comprehensive lists of supporting networks, entities, and individuals from Russia, China, or cooperating countries; and (4) recommended authorities or activities to enhance U.S. counter-capabilities. Reports must be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex.