Two U.S. congressmen, Republican Keith Self and Democrat Suhas Subramanyam, are currently on a visit to Serbia, which includes a planned stop in the Presheva Valley, a region with a majority ethnic Albanian population in southern Serbia.
The delegation is scheduled to be received in Belgrade by the Speaker of the Serbian Parliament, Ana Brnabić, before continuing their visit to Presheva.
Presheva Mayor Ardita Sinani welcomed the visit, writing on Facebook that “Presheva welcomes the U.S. Congressional delegation,” describing it as “a historic moment for the Valley.”
The visit comes in the context of growing U.S. congressional attention toward the situation of ethnic minorities in Serbia. Earlier this year, an initiative led by Congressman Keith Self contributed to the approval of a draft bill in the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee requesting a comprehensive State Department report on minority rights in Serbia, with a particular focus on Albanians in the Presheva Valley.
The region, which includes Presheva, Bujanovac, and Medveđa, is home to more than 60,000 Albanians, making them the fourth-largest minority group in Serbia according to the 2022 census. International reporting has often described the area as politically and economically marginalized, with attention increasing mainly during election periods.
A day before visiting Presheva, the congressional delegation was in Sarajevo, where they met members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation and supporting stability in the Western Balkans.
The U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to the Dayton Peace Agreement and to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, following the meeting.
The Office of the High Representative (OHR) also emphasized the importance of continued U.S. engagement in preserving stability in Bosnia and the wider region.
At this stage, it remains unclear whether the delegation will also visit Kosovo. The Office of the Prime Minister of Kosovo has not yet confirmed any scheduled meeting.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti recently stated that he held a virtual meeting with a group of congressmen, including Keith Self, noting that Kosovo’s defense cooperation with the United States remains “stronger than ever” due to bipartisan support in Congress.
Earlier this year, Keith Self and fellow congressmen Ritchie Torres and Mike Lawler introduced a bipartisan resolution supporting Kosovo’s path toward NATO membership, highlighting democratic governance, civilian control of security forces, and multi-ethnic coexistence as key arguments for integration.
