The document, submitted within the framework of legal obligations for the 2026 budget, analyzes the situation and the main directions of American engagement in the six countries of the region: Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.
The report states that Washington will continue military and security cooperation with the countries of the region, including Albania, through joint exercises, training programs, and regional platforms such as the Adriatic Charter (A5), aimed at increasing interoperability and strengthening joint defense capabilities.
The report also highlights Albania’s role as a country gradually transitioning from a “security consumer” to a “security provider.” In this context, it mentions Albania’s engagement together with Kosovo in international security initiatives, including participation in new cooperation structures and contributions to international stabilization missions.
In the economic and energy sectors, the United States expresses direct interest in developing projects in Albania, particularly in energy and infrastructure. The report underlines the potential for investments in hydropower plants, strengthening regional energy connections, and expanding the presence of American companies in strategic infrastructure projects.
Furthermore, Albania is directly linked to regional projects such as the Adriatic-Ionian Corridor, which is viewed as one of the main routes intended to connect the Western Balkans with European markets and increase the region’s economic integration, while also creating opportunities for American investments.
In the strategic section of the document, the United States emphasizes that one of its main objectives remains limiting Russian and Chinese influence in the Western Balkans. According to the report, this can be achieved through increased Western investment, stronger institutions, and consolidated partnerships with regional countries, where Albania is described as an important NATO ally and a strategic partner of the United States.
According to the report, Moscow seeks to exploit ethnic tensions, institutional weaknesses, and corruption in order to influence political developments in the Western Balkans. The report also states that Russia uses energy resources, particularly hydrocarbon supplies, as a tool of political and economic pressure on countries in the region. Washington considers this a direct threat to the stability and Euro-Atlantic orientation of the Balkans.
