(Telegraph photo by DEAN SHALHOUP) U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, was the guest speaker at the recent graduation celebration for 11 members of the Hillsborough County South Adult Drug Court.

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Co-chair of the bipartisan U.S. Senate NATO Observer Group and Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, released the following statement after speaking with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power regarding the ongoing security concerns across the Western Balkans. They also discussed the need for additional and continued U.S. support for Ukraine and the concerning aggression of Azerbaijan towards ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Defending and supporting our allies and partners across the globe are among my top priorities as a leader on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. During my call with Administrator Power, we discussed the precarious political situation in the Balkans, our ongoing efforts to support Ukraine’s defense of its homeland and how we can work together to protect ethnic Armenians from any further aggression,” said Senator Shaheen. “I appreciate the Administration’s efforts to work with our European partners to provide aid to ethnic Armenians who have fled Nagorno-Karabakh and to deter additional Azerbaijani military action. I also welcome her focus on the Western Balkans, which is key to our work in the region and across Europe. I look forward to continuing the conversation with Administrator Power and working together on these shared priorities.”

Senator Shaheen has been a leader on U.S. policy towards the Balkans, and recently introduced bipartisan legislation to support economic development, promote democratic resilience and combat corruption in the region. Last fall, Shaheen led a bipartisan letter with Senators Tillis (R-NC), Murphy (D-CT) and Wicker (R-MS) to the Biden administration on the importance of the EUFOR mandate and urged the development of a comprehensive strategy towards Bosnia and Herzegovina. Shaheen traveled to the Western Balkans last year to serve as an election monitor for the Bosnia and Herzegovina elections, which followed a separate trip to the region in April with both Senators Murphy and Tillis.

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