What This Bill Does
This bill requires the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State to write a report about security cooperation involving Western Balkan countries. The report must examine how these countries work with Russia, China, the United States and NATO to understand potential impacts on American security interests.
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Who It Affects
The Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State must prepare and submit the report. Congress receives the report, specifically the defense committees and foreign affairs committees in both chambers. The report examines eight Western Balkan countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia.
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Key Provisions
- The report must be submitted to Congress within 180 days after this law passes (Sec. 2(a))
- The report must list Russian weapons systems and military equipment valued at $1,000,000 or more provided to or purchased by each Western Balkan country since 2012 (Sec. 2(b)(1)(A))
- The report must list Chinese weapons systems and military equipment valued at $1,000,000 or more provided to or purchased by each Western Balkan country since 2012 (Sec. 2(b)(2)(A))
- The report must list United States weapons systems and military equipment valued at $1,000,000 or more provided to or purchased by each Western Balkan country since 2012 (Sec. 2(b)(3)(A))
- The report must assess how security cooperation between each Western Balkan country and Russia affects United States security interests, NATO security interests and the security of NATO member states bordering these countries (Sec. 2(b)(1)(E))
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What Changes
Once this law passes, the Department of Defense and State Department must conduct and submit a comprehensive report on security relationships between Western Balkan countries and Russia, China, the United States and NATO. This report does not currently exist as a legal requirement.
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Important Definitions
"Appropriate congressional committees" means the congressional defense committees and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
"Western Balkan countries" means Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia.
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Effective Date
The report must be submitted within 180 days after the law is enacted. Not specified in bill text when the law itself becomes effective.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 612
To require a report on security cooperation with respect to Western Balkan
countries.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 27, 2023
Mr. TORRES of New York (for himself and Mrs. MCCLAIN) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
A BILL
To require a report on security cooperation with respect
to Western Balkan countries.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Balkans Security Co-
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operation Act’’.
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SEC. 2. REPORT ON SECURITY COOPERATION WITH RE-
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SPECT TO WESTERN BALKAN COUNTRIES.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the
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date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of De-
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fense, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, shall
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•HR 612 IH
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a re-
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port on security cooperation with respect to Western Bal-
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kan countries.
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(b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The report re-
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quired by subsection (a) shall include the following:
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(1) An assessment of security cooperation be-
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tween each Western Balkan country and the Russian
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Federation, including the following:
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(A) A list of Russian weapons systems and
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other military hardware and technology valued
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at $1,000,000 or more that have been provided
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to or purchased by each Western Balkan coun-
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try since 2012.
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(B) A description of the participation of
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each Western Balkan country’s security forces
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in training or exercises with the Russian Fed-
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eration since 2012.
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(C) A description of any security coopera-
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tion agreements each Western Balkan country
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has entered into with the Russian Federation.
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(D) An assessment of intelligence coopera-
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tion between each Western Balkan country and
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the Russian Federation.
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(E) An assessment of how security co-
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operation between each Western Balkan coun-
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•HR 612 IH
try and the Russian Federation affects the se-
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curity interests of the United States, the North
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Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the
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Western Balkan country, and each NATO
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member state that borders the Western Balkan
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country.
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(2) An assessment of security cooperation be-
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tween each Western Balkan country and the Peo-
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ple’s Republic of China, including the following:
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(A) A list of Chinese weapons systems and
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other military hardware and technology valued
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at $1,000,000 or more that have been provided
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to or purchased by each Western Balkan coun-
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try since 2012.
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(B) A description of the participation of
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each Western Balkan country’s security forces
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in training or exercises with the People’s Re-
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public of China since 2012.
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(C) A description of any security coopera-
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tion agreements each Western Balkan country
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has entered into with the People’s Republic of
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China.
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(D) An assessment of intelligence coopera-
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tion between each Western Balkan country and
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the People’s Republic of China.
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•HR 612 IH
(E) An assessment of how security co-
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operation between each Western Balkan coun-
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try and the People’s Republic of China affects
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the security interests of the United States, the
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North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO),
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the Western Balkan country, and each NATO
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member state that borders the Western Balkan
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country.
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(3) An assessment of security cooperation be-
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tween each Western Balkan country and the United
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States, including the following:
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(A) A list of United States weapons sys-
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tems and other military hardware and tech-
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nology valued at $1,000,000 or more that have
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been provided to or purchased by each Western
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Balkan country since 2012.
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(B) A description of the participation of
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each Western Balkan country’s security forces
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in training or exercises with the United States
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since 2012.
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(C) A description of any security coopera-
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tion agreements each Western Balkan country
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has entered into with the United States.
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•HR 612 IH
(D) An assessment of intelligence coopera-
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tion between each Western Balkan country and
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the United States.
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(4) An assessment of security cooperation be-
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tween each Western Balkan country and NATO.
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(5) A description of each Western Balkan coun-
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try’s participation and activities in NATO’s Partner-
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ship for Peace program, if applicable.
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(6) An assessment of the Russian Humani-
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tarian Center in Nisˇ, Serbia, and any influence or
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coordination it may have with Russian Federation
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Intelligence Agencies.
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(c) FORM.—The report required by subsection (a)
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shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include
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a classified annex.
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(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section—
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(1) the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
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mittees’’ means—
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(A) congressional defense committees (as
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such term is defined in section 101 of title 10,
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United States Code); and
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(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations of
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the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Af-
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fairs of the House of Representatives; and
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•HR 612 IH
(2) the term ‘‘Western Balkan countries’’
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means—
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(A) Albania;
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(B) Bosnia and Herzegovina;
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(C) Croatia;
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(D) Kosovo;
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(E) Montenegro;
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(F) North Macedonia;
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(G) Serbia; and
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(H) Slovenia.
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Æ
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