The United States Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, Hoyt Brian Yee, said on Thursday that the western Balkans are a significant source of foreign terrorist fighters going to Syria and Iraq, particularly when considered as a per capita proportion of the population. “Individuals are being radicalized and motivated to fight in Syria and Iraq by a number of factors. Economic stagnation and lack of employment options are factors. This is compounded by skepticism of citizens about their governments,” said Yee. He also said that the western Balkan countries are taking this threat very seriously. “Albania, BiH, Kosovo, FYROM, Montenegro, and Serbia have all passed legislation criminalizing foreign fighters and support for them.”
In regards to special court which will address war crimes allegations, Yee said that It is essential that Kosovo’s leaders take the necessary steps to approve the constitutional amendments and legislation necessary for the establishment of special court. “It is important for the victims, but also for the future of Kosovo, to move beyond this chapter and continue its democratic consolidation and path toward Euro-Atlantic integration,” Yee said.