Selim Ibraimi-The US has taken several joint steps in energy security, in particular, the independence of the Western Balkan states from foreign actors through direct agreements.
Using trilateral summits and meetings, the US is initiating the long-term geopolitics of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Europe and the Western Balkans.
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, at the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) Summit last week, announced billions of dollars in investment from Eastern Europe to the Western Balkans.
According to official US announcements, the signing of several agreements includes the launch of the Trump Peace Pipelines Framework, which enables the construction of natural gas infrastructure to support the continued expansion of US LNG imports to European countries.
The US Department of Energy announced that the signed agreements are worth several billion US dollars, with exports of US energy to Central and Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans.
According to US officials, the expansion of natural gas and LNG pipelines will be carried out in several phases.
The US investments include Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, and Greece. North Macedonia and Kosovo are currently excluded from these US agreements.
Secretary of the Department of Energy Chris Wright, regarding the US investment in Croatia, said that this is the largest investment in Croatian history. “It is a very significant agreement. A multi-billion dollar agreement,” he said.
US officials have made it known that the future is extremely bright for nations that join the US in pursuing energy security policies.
In addition to these US initiatives, a Joint Declaration of Intent to Support the IGA was signed last week between Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and the US Industry for the Southern Interconnection Gas Pipeline.
The Department of Energy also announced that the US and Croatia signed a Joint Declaration to enhance civil nuclear cooperation, deepening cooperation under the US-Euratom Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.
The agreement demonstrates Croatia’s readiness to deploy small modular reactor (SMR) technology. The US supports expanded cooperation between the US and Croatian industry and promotes US nuclear exports.
US firms will also invest in a data center in Croatia, increasing digital security in the region, the statement said. Meanwhile, in the southern Western Balkans, Albania and Greece, with US assistance, signed a strategic agreement.
The US Ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, said that Albania is important for the vision in the energy field. She said that a 6 billion euro agreement has been signed. The US, Albania, and Greece are working together.
Of course, the entire region benefits from this cooperation,” she said. “It is an honor to be here in Albania, a steadfast partner of the US, a country of extraordinary strategic importance for the Balkans and Europe, and of course alongside our very good friend Edi Rama.”
“Strengthening regional cooperation actually strengthens energy and national security. It proves the importance that the Albanian government has for energy security. The administration of President Donald Trump has raised this cooperation as a pillar worldwide. Albania and Greece are more than neighbors,” she said.
The LNG agreement demonstrates Albania’s growing role in the region that cannot be replaced by any other country.
The Three Seas Initiative (3SI) Summit and Business Forum was held in Dubrovnik on April 28-29, 2026. The Three Seas Initiative is a forum for accelerating infrastructure development, energy security, and digital connectivity among 13 countries in Central and Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans.
The US has so far served as a strategic partner. The US currently produces as much natural gas as Russia, China, and Iran combined. The US also leads the world in LNG exports and is expected to increase production, according to US analysts.
Albania, in the Southern Balkans, has become a key country that the US relies on to further advance its LNG strategy and exports, and of course, with the 3SI Initiative.
North Macedonia is entering a different direction in the Serbian diplomacy games when it comes to the issue of the (LGN) and other transport corridors. In terms of energy dependence, Kosovo needs to find a solution in the short term. Albania can help.
North Macedonia, with its current dynamics, remains outside of American investments. In the near future, some regional governments will seek support from Serbia, a country that is trying to be the center of all in the Balkans.
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