AACL foreign policy leaders in the House about the future of Kosova

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WASHINGTON D.C: The Albanian American Civic  League foreign policy leaders 
in the House about the future of  Kosova      
By BEQIR SINA


The Albanian American Civic League Participates in the Annual  Meeting of 
the National Republican Congressional Committee and Lobbies Foreign  Policy 
Leaders in the House about the Future of Kosova 
Washington, DC, March 31, 2011—The National Republican  Congressional 
Committee held its annual conference and dinner on March 30.   This presented an 
opportunity for the Albanian American Civic League to lobby  key foreign 
policy leaders in the US House of Representatives, now led by a  Republican 
majority, about the status of Kosova and the future of Albanians in  Southeast 
Europe.   
Former Congressman Joe DioGuardi, the Civic League’s President, and Shirley 
 Cloyes DioGuardi, the Civic League’s Balkan Affairs Adviser, led a 
delegation  that included Kosova MP Florin Krasniqi, his colleague Sokol Necaj, and 
Civic  League Board members Agim Alickaj, Zef Balaj, Steve Gjonbalaj, 
Gazmend Lita, and  Rifat Memeti.   
The conference began with a session on “Balancing the Federal Budget by  
Reviving Self- and-Limited Government directed by Congressman Paul Ryan 
(WI-1),  who is Chairman of the House Budget Committee and the architect of a new  
proposal for federal financial reform aimed at addressing America’s 
financial  crisis.  This discussion was followed by a roundtable on national 
security  with Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18), Chairwoman of the House  
Committee on Foreign Affairs, Congressman David Drier (CA-26) Chairman of 
the  Rules Committee, Congressman Darrell Isa (CA-49), Chairman of the 
Oversight and  Government Reform Committee, and Congressman Fred Upton (MI-6), 
Chairman of the  Energy and Commerce Committee. 
The Civic League arranged for Florin Krasniqi to do a live interview with  
Voice of America.  This was followed by a private lunch with Speaker of the  
House John Boehner and meetings with Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (CA-46),  
Chairman of the Subcommittee for Investigation and Oversight in the House  
Committee on Foreign Affairs, Committee Chairwoman Ros-Lehtinen and her 
staff,  and members of the European Subcommittee.  The focus of the meetings was 
on  the talks between Prishtina and Belgrade and Belgrade’s goal of 
partitioning  northern Kosova, three years after Kosova has declared its 
independence.   
Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi stressed the importance of  “not fulfilling  Serbia
’s expansionist appetite and instead insisting on mutual coexistence and  
human rights throughout the region.”  Florin Krasniqi emphasized the fact  
that Kosova has been a “US project,” and that the project  “can only  succeed 
if the United States remains engaged.”  Joe DioGuardi reminded  Members of 
Congress that whenever the United States takes a back seat to Europe  in the 
Balkans, as it is doing now because of the demand of the wars in  
Afghanistan and Iraq and the crises in North Africa, we eventually pay the  price. 
Therefore, all members of the delegation called for continued  engagement of 
the United Statesin the Balkans.   
In this connection, the delegation raised the need for ongoing military  
presence in Southeast Europe by keeping open Camp Bondsteel in Kosova, which  
some U.S.government officials have recommended for closing to help balance 
the  U.S. federal budget.  At a private dinner the night before the NRCC  
conference, the DioGuardis and MP Krasniqi met with the Chairman of the Armed  
Services Committee in the House, Buck McKeon (CA-25), and his chief of staff 
to  make the case for peace and stability in Kosova by continuing the 
American  presence at Camp Bondsteel. 
The dinner, which was held at the National Building Museum in Washington, 
DC,  featured Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey as the keynote speaker 
Chris  Christie, followed by remarks from House Speaker Boehner, Chairwoman  
Ros-Lehtinen, and former Vice President Dick Cheney. 
Photos: 
 
Former Congressman Joe DioGuardi addresses the session on the federal  
budget led by Congressman Paul Ryan. 


The AACL delegation with CongressionalHouse Chairmen 
(from left to right:  Rifat Memeti, Agim Alickaj, Zef Balaj, Congressman  
Darrell Issa, Sokol Necaj, AACL Balkan Affairs Adviser Shirley Cloyes 
DioGuardi,  AACL President Joe DioGuardi,Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Kosova 
MP Florin  Krasniqi, Congressman David Dreier, and Gazmend Lita.  Steve 
Gjonbalaj not  shown) 


Outside the Capitol Hill Club (from leftto right:  Zef Balaj, MP Florin  
Krasniqi, Joe DioGuardi, Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi, and Sokol Necaj) 


The AACL delegation with Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle (R-NY), member of  
the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, atthe US Capitol (from left to  
right:  Steve Gjonbalaj, Sokol Necaj, Rifat Memeti, Agim Alickaj, Shirley  
Cloyes DioGuardi, Zef Balaj, Joe DioGuardi,Congresswoman Buerkle, MP Florin  
Krasniqi, and Gazmend Lita) 
 
The AACL delegation with Congressman Tom Marino (R-PA), member of the House 
 Subcommittee on European Affairs, in the Rayburn Room at the US Capitol 


The AACL delegation in front of the US Capitol 
 
The AACL delegation meets with Congressman Dana Rohrabacher in his office 
in  the Rayburn House Office Building. 


MP Florin Krasniqi and Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi make the case for  Kosova 
to Congressman Dana Rohrabacher. 


The AACL delegation discusses the issuesfacing Albanians in the Balkans  
with the foreign policy staff of Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in the House  
Committee on Foreign Affairs meeting  room.