The challenges in southeastern Europe constitute an issue that is very high on the foreign policy agenda of the Bush administration. The U.S. is engaged and committed to working with our European allies and partners within the region to protect regional security. Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia are democratic countries committed to a common approach to the challenges they face and to working together to address these challenges.
Obstacles remain in the Balkans, but progress is real and considerable.
It is important to recall that the situation is dramatically different than it was a decade ago. Ten years ago, in the unstable environment created by the breakup of Yugoslavia, people seized opportunities to commit unspeakable violence in pursuit of unacceptable goals. The United States and Europe have learned from the mistakes that were made and have reduced opportunities for this mischief-making to lead to absolute destruction. Macedonia secured its independence peacefully and, for years, has taken a peaceful approach toward resolution of differences between ethnic communities. Multi-ethnic governments including representatives of the Albanian community have been the norm.