Garčević Comments on U.S. Bill to Increase Economic Collaboration with Western Balkans
As part of a recent Vijesti article, Ambassador Vesko Garčević, Professor of the Practice of International Relations at Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, provided insights on S. 4741, a draft bill that would encourage increased trade and investment between the United States and the countries in the Western Balkans.
In the article, titled “Korupcija u regionu pod lupom SAD, Garčević: Vašington će više biti uključen u praćenje skandala” (Corruption in the region under the scrutiny of the USA; Garčević: Washington will be more involved in our region), Garčević notes that apart from channels from the State Department and security cooperation – primarily with NATO members – the U.S. has not had a strong presence in the Western Balkans for years. This presence has weakened over time because the region is more or less left to the European Union, the most important foreign political and economic actor in the Balkans. Garčević claims that S. 4741 will open up space for more robust American political, financial, and technical assistance; it would enable more coherent American support for national efforts to fight corruption and democratization. The bill’s introduction is good news for those who want to see the Western Balkans integrated into the EU and other Euro-Atlantic structures.
The full article can be read (in Bosnian) on Vijesti‘s website.
During his diplomatic career, Ambassador Vesko Garčević dealt with issues pertinent to European security and NATO for almost 14 years. In 2004, he was posted in Vienna to serve as Ambassador to Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. He had been Montenegro’s Ambassador to NATO from 2010 until 2014 and served as Montenegro’s National Coordinator for NATO from 2015 until he joined the faculty at the Pardee School. Learn more about Ambassador Garčević on his faculty profile.