Albanians For America

10/01/2026

Albanians for America welcomes the introduction of the SRBIJA Act in the United States Senate by Senators Chuck Grassley and Richard Blumenthal, following the bipartisan support this initiative has already received in the House of Representatives.

The fact that this initiative is gaining support in both chambers of Congress demonstrates growing attention in Washington to political developments in Serbia, particularly the erosion of democratic standards, pressure on the media, manipulation of institutions, and obstruction of free and fair elections.

For Albanians for America, it is important that U.S. policy also take into account Serbia’s conduct toward Kosovo and actions that have directly undermined peace and security in the region. The attack in Banjska, for which Milan Radoičić admitted responsibility for organizing and participating, remains one of the most serious incidents in recent years. Despite this, Serbia continues to reject responsibility and refuses to extradite Radoičić and members of his group to face justice in Kosovo.

Likewise, the attack on Kosovo’s critical infrastructure at the Ibër-Lepenc canal demonstrated that threats to Kosovo’s security are not merely rhetorical, but can take the form of concrete attacks against the country’s infrastructure and stability.

Therefore, recognition of the reality of Kosovo as an independent state, together with Serbia’s commitment to refrain from actions that undermine Kosovo’s security and stability, should form part of a consistent U.S. approach to peace and security in the Western Balkans.

Equally concerning is Belgrade’s increasingly pronounced orientation toward political and strategic partnerships with Russia and China. This approach warrants serious attention from the United States and its allies.

Albanians for America expresses its gratitude to Senators Grassley and Blumenthal, as well as to the members of the House of Representatives who have supported this initiative, for their commitment to democracy, free elections, media freedom, the rule of law, and stability in the Western Balkans.

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Albanians for America mirëpret prezantimin në Senatin e Shteteve të Bashkuara të SRBIJA Act nga senatorët Chuck Grassley dhe Richard Blumenthal, pas mbështetjes bipartizane që kjo nismë ka marrë tashmë në Dhomën e Përfaqësuesve.

Fakti që kjo nismë po merr mbështetje në të dy dhomat e Kongresit tregon se në Washington është rritur vëmendja ndaj zhvillimeve politike në Serbi, veçanërisht ndaj cenimit të standardeve demokratike, presionit ndaj mediave, manipulimit të institucioneve dhe pengimit të zgjedhjeve të lira e të ndershme.

Për Albanians for America, është e rëndësishme që politika amerikane të marrë parasysh edhe sjelljen e Serbisë ndaj Kosovës dhe veprimet që kanë cenuar drejtpërdrejt paqen dhe sigurinë në rajon. Agresioni në Banjskë për të cilin kryeterroristi Milan Radojçiq ka pranuar përgjegjësinë për organizimin dhe pjesëmarrjen, mbetet një nga rastet më serioze të viteve të fundit. Pavarësisht kësaj, Serbia vazhdon të refuzojë pranimin e përgjegjësisë sikurse edhe ekstradimin te drejtësia kosovare të kryeterroristit Radojçiq dhe grupit të tij.

Po ashtu, sulmi terrorist ndaj infrastrukturës kritike të Kosovës në Ibër-Lepenc tregoi se kërcënimet ndaj sigurisë së Kosovës nuk janë vetëm retorike, por mund të marrin formën e sulmeve konkrete ndaj infrastrukturës dhe stabilitetit të vendit.

Prandaj, pranimi i realitetit të Kosovës si shtet i pavarur dhe angazhimi i Serbisë për të mos ndërmarrë veprime që cenojnë sigurinë dhe stabilitetin e Kosovës duhet të jenë pjesë e një qasjeje të qëndrueshme amerikane ndaj paqes dhe sigurisë në Ballkanin Perëndimor.

Po aq shqetësues është orientimi gjithnjë e më i theksuar i Beogradit drejt partneritetit politik dhe strategjik me Rusinë dhe Kinën. Kjo qasje kërkon vëmendje serioze nga Shtetet e Bashkuara dhe aleatët e saj.

Albanians for America u shpreh mirënjohje senatorëve Grassley dhe Blumenthal, si dhe anëtarëve të Dhomës së Përfaqësuesve që kanë mbështetur këtë nismë, për angazhimin e tyre ndaj demokracisë, zgjedhjeve të lira, lirisë së medias, sundimit të ligjit dhe stabilitetit në Ballkanin Perëndimor.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/10183/all-info

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5611?s=1&r=1

09/28/2026

OP-ED NGA AFA | Serbia nuk mund ta rishkruajë historinë e Kosovës nga foltorja e OKB-së

Në op-ed-in tonë më të fundit, Albanians For America i përgjigjet fjalimit të Presidentit të Serbisë, Aleksandar Vučić, në Asamblenë e Përgjithshme të Kombeve të Bashkuara dhe shqyrton faktet që narrativa e tij i lë jashtë.

Nga veprimet e Serbisë gjatë luftës në Kosovë dhe realiteti juridik i pavarësisë së Kosovës, te dialogu Kosovë–Serbi, mungesa e vazhdueshme e llogaridhënies për sulmin në Banjskë dhe orientimi i qartë euroatlantik i Kosovës—faktet vlejnë.

09/28/2026

NEW AFA OP-ED | Serbia Cannot Rewrite Kosovo’s History from the UN Podium

In our latest op-ed, Albanians For America responds to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s address to the United Nations General Assembly and examines the facts his narrative leaves out.

From Serbia’s actions during the war in Kosovo and the legal reality of Kosovo’s independence, to the Kosovo–Serbia dialogue, the continued lack of accountability for the Banjska attack, and Kosovo’s clear Euro-Atlantic orientation—the facts matter.

Read the full op-ed.

09/28/2026

Advocacy in action. 🇺🇸🇦🇱🇽🇰

A behind-the-scenes look at our work in Washington, D.C. — engaging with policymakers and keeping Albanian-American priorities part of the conversation.

09/24/2026

Three years ago today, Kosovo was confronted with one of the gravest attacks against its security and constitutional order since the end of the war.

In the early hours of September 24, 2023, a heavily armed Serbian paramilitary group attacked Kosovo Police in Banjska, killing Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku and wounding other officers. The scale of the weapons and military equipment recovered after the attack demonstrated that this was no spontaneous act of violence. The European Parliament subsequently described it as a terrorist attack carried out by “well-organised Serbian paramilitaries” and a major escalation in northern Kosovo.

Kosovo's authorities have maintained that the operation was organized, financed and supported by Serbia. Evidence presented after the attack connected members of the group and its weaponry to Serbia, while Kosovo's indictment alleges that the group trained on Serbian territory and received access to military infrastructure and logistical support.

Three years later, Milan Radoičić who publicly accepted responsibility for organizing the armed group remains in Serbia. Despite his admission, Serbia has still not put him on trial. The European Parliament has explicitly deplored Serbia's continuing failure to prosecute those responsible, particularly Radoičić.

Three years. No trial in Serbia. No accountability for the principal organizer.

That failure matters far beyond Banjska. When those responsible for armed violence against a neighboring country's institutions can evade justice for years, impunity itself becomes a threat to regional security.

On this anniversary, we remember Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku, who was killed while defending Kosovo's citizens and institutions. But remembrance cannot substitute for accountability.

Three years after Banjska, justice remains unfinished. Those responsible MUST be held accountable.

09/16/2026

STATEMENT

Albanians for America receives today’s judgment by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague against the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army with deep concern and dismay.

We disagree with this judgment and consider it unjust toward those who fought for Kosovo’s freedom.

For Albanians for America, one thing must remain clear: the struggle of the Kosovo Liberation Army was a struggle for freedom and for the protection of the people of Kosovo. The KLA emerged under the conditions of a repressive and violent Serbian regime, when Kosovo Albanians faced killings, expulsions, destruction, and grave crimes. This historical truth cannot be undone.

This judgment must not be turned into a judgment of a people’s struggle for freedom, nor should it create a historical or moral equivalence between Kosovo’s liberation struggle and the Serbian state apparatus, which perpetrated violence and crimes against the civilian population.

The facts are clear: SERBIA was the AGGRESSOR; KOSOVA was the VICTIM.

AFA stands with the KLA, with the just struggle of the people of Kosovo for freedom, and with the people of Kosovo.

Kosovo was not the aggressor in the 1998–1999 war. It was a people fighting to survive and to win its freedom from repression.

Today’s judgment is not the final word in the legal process. It is a first-instance judgment and, under the procedures of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, the parties have the right to appeal before the Court of Appeals Panel. Therefore, the judicial process has not yet concluded.

Albanians for America will continue to defend the historical truth of Kosovo’s struggle, the right of the Albanian people to freedom and dignity, and the strategic partnership between Kosovo and the United States of America.

The KLA fought for Kosovo’s freedom.
Kosovo’s freedom is the right of its people, and that right cannot be put on trial.

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DEKLARATË

Albanians for America e pranon me shqetësim të thellë dhe me pezëm aktgjykimin e sotëm të Dhomave të Specializuara të Kosovës në Hagë ndaj ish-drejtuesve të Ushtrisë Çlirimtare të Kosovës.

Nuk pajtohemi me këtë aktgjykim dhe e konsiderojmë të padrejtë ndaj atyre që luftuan për lirinë e Kosovës.

Për Albanians for America, një gjë duhet të mbetet e qartë: lufta e Ushtrisë Çlirimtare të Kosovës ishte luftë për liri dhe për mbrojtjen e popullit të Kosovës. UÇK-ja u ngrit në rrethanat e një regjimi represiv dhe të dhunshëm serb, kur qytetarët shqiptarë të Kosovës u përballën me vrasje, dëbime, shkatërrime dhe krime të rënda. Kjo e vërtetë historike nuk mund të zhbëhet.

Ky aktgjykim nuk duhet të shndërrohet në një gjykim të luftës së një populli për liri, as të krijojë një ekuivalencë historike dhe morale ndërmjet luftës çlirimtare të Kosovës dhe aparatit shtetëror serb, i cili ushtroi dhunë dhe kreu krime mbi popullsinë civile.

Gjërat janë të qarta, Serbia ishte agresore, Kosova ishte viktimë.

AFA është me UÇK-në, me luftën e drejtë të popullit të Kosovës për liri dhe me popullin e Kosovës.

Kosova nuk ishte agresore në luftën e viteve 1998–1999, por një popull që luftonte për të mbijetuar dhe për të fituar lirinë nga represioni.

Aktgjykimi i sotëm nuk është fjala e fundit juridike. Ai është aktgjykim i shkallës së parë dhe, sipas procedurave të Dhomave të Specializuara, palët kanë të drejtë ta apelojnë para Panelit të Apelit. Prandaj, procesi gjyqësor ende nuk ka përfunduar.

Albanians for America do të vazhdojë ta mbrojë të vërtetën historike të luftës së Kosovës, të drejtën e popullit shqiptar për liri dhe dinjitet, si dhe partneritetin strategjik ndërmjet Kosovës dhe Shteteve të Bashkuara të Amerikës.

UÇK-ja luftoi për lirinë e Kosovës.
Liria e Kosovës është e drejtë e popullit të saj dhe kjo e drejtë nuk gjykohet.

Send a message to learn more

09/15/2026

🇦🇱🇺🇸 Straight from Capitol Hill | Part 2

The hearing covered a lot — but there is still more that deserves Washington’s attention.

In Part 2, AFA representatives discuss issues affecting Albanians in North Macedonia, the implementation of the Ohrid Agreement, concerns surrounding the rule of law in Albania, and why sustained Albanian-American advocacy remains necessary.

And then, some big news.

For the first time, we’re making it official:

🥂 AFA LEADERSHIP GALA
📅 April 14, 2027
📍 Washington, D.C.

After months of work behind the scenes, we are preparing to bring together members of Congress, the Senate, the Administration, and the Albanian-American community for an evening of engagement, connection, and celebration.

Save the date. April 14, 2027. More soon.

09/15/2026

🇺🇸 Straight from Capitol Hill | Part 1

Minutes after today’s congressional hearing on the Western Balkans concluded, AFA representatives sat down to share their immediate takeaways.

One thing stood out: the bipartisan nature of the concerns raised in Congress.

From Kosovo and regional security to Serbia’s relationship with Russia and China, members from both sides of the aisle raised important questions about the future of the Western Balkans.

For Albanian Americans, that matters. Sustained advocacy means showing up, building relationships, providing information, and making sure Washington continues paying attention to what is happening in our region.

🎥 Watch Part 1 of our conversation directly from Capitol Hill

09/15/2026

AFA Statement following today’s congressional hearing on the Western Balkans

Albanians for America followed today’s congressional hearing on the Western Balkans closely, including through AFA representatives who attended the hearing in person in Washington, D.C.

We welcome the heightened attention that Congress is giving to the Western Balkans and, above all, the bipartisan recognition that the security and democratic future of the region remain important to the United States.

Chairman Keith Self opened the hearing by describing instability in the Western Balkans as a serious U.S. national security concern and reflected directly on what he witnessed during his congressional visit to the region in May.

His remarks on Serbia were particularly significant. Chairman Self stated that the Serbian government continues to embrace a narrative of victimization rooted in the past, pointing to its refusal to recognize Kosovo’s independence and the honoring of convicted war criminals. He also raised the growing influence of China and Russia in Serbia and questioned the implications for regional stability.

Importantly for the Albanian community, Chairman Self also spoke directly about the rights of ethnic Albanians in southern Serbia, describing the situation in the Presheva Valley as a priority during his May visit and emphasizing that protecting minority rights is essential to regional stability.

On Kosovo, the message was equally clear. Chairman Self described Kosovo as an “independent, democratic, and strategic partner of the United States” and called on the remaining NATO countries that do not recognize Kosovo to do so. He argued that Kosovo’s integration into NATO is fundamental to long-term stability in the Western Balkans and stressed the immediate importance of maintaining the U.S. presence in KFOR.

The State Department also reaffirmed that the United States remains committed to Kosovo’s independence and territorial integrity and confirmed that Washington continues discussions with NATO allies that have yet to recognize Kosovo.

At the same time, the hearing underscored concerns about Serbia’s strategic direction. Responding to Chairman Self, Deputy Assistant Secretary Daniel Lawton confirmed U.S. concern over Serbia’s acquisition of Chinese defense systems, noting that Serbia is the only European country to purchase air-defense systems from China, and warned that this could complicate closer U.S.–Serbia defense cooperation.

For AFA, there is a broader message from today’s hearing: sustained engagement matters.

From congressional visits to hearings, legislation and direct engagement with policymakers, attention to Kosovo, the rights of Albanians in the Presheva Valley, and the future security architecture of the Western Balkans is growing in Washington.

We thank Chairman Self, Ranking Member Keating and members of the Subcommittee for their continued attention to the region.

AFA will continue showing up, building relationships across party lines, and working to ensure that Albanian-American perspectives are heard where U.S. policy toward our region is discussed.

09/15/2026

🔴 WATCH LIVE 🇺🇸

The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Europe is holding a hearing on U.S. policy and regional security challenges in the Western Balkans.

▶️ Follow the hearing live here: https://www.youtube.com/live/mmZGlIF1xFc?si=m0uhnRhll9wEwQ-h